My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: You can’t win from me.

Ava sat in silence, her mind reeling from the revelation. Dylan had acted quickly to punish those women who attacked her, something she never would have expected from him. It was hard to reconcile this protective side of him with the man she had known before—distant, neglectful, and indifferent to her suffering.

‘Is he really changing?’ she thought.

Her mind flashed back to what Justin had said earlier. Her chest tightened with regret. Instead of thanking Dylan, she had lashed out at him.

Her gaze drifted to the untouched soup bowl on the table beside her bed. Justin’s words, ‘He hasn’t eaten anything all day, but he made sure you didn’t starve,’ echoed in her mind. Slowly, the anger she had felt toward him began to dissolve, and her heart softened.

“Ava! Are you still there?” Ethan asked when he didn’t hear anything from her.

“Yeah – uh…I-I’ll call later.” She ended the call, putting the phone aside. With a sense of nostalgia and regret, she took the bowl and drank the soup, which was now cold.

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

Gianna tugged at Dylan’s arm and pouted in disappointment. “I have been waiting for you all day, but you didn’t come. I was all alone. Erica also didn’t come to see me. Have you all forgotten about me?” She whined exaggeratedly, like a child seeking attention.

Dylan grimaced at the mention of Erica. He pulled his arm free, turning away slightly. “Didn’t Erica call you?” he asked as he couldn’t believe Erica hadn’t called Gianna before leaving the country.

Gianna’s expression froze. “I…” She was momentarily at a loss for words, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She quickly gathered her thoughts, finding a plausible excuse.

“She did, but I was in the bathroom when she called,” she explained with an air of innocence. “By the time I tried to call her back, she didn’t pick up. Maybe she is upset with me.”

Feigning ignorance, she observed Dylan’s reaction.

Dylan breathed out a long sigh. “She left the country this evening,” he said. “I sent her abroad. She won’t be coming back. I’ve banned her here, and even if she comes back, she won’t be able to work anywhere.”

Gianna gasped, acting as if she had no prior knowledge of this. “You banned her?” she exclaimed. “But why? What did she do wrong?”

“She spread lies about Ava,” Dylan growled. “She made it seem like Ava hurt you, which stirred up some crazy fans of yours. They attacked Ava. I couldn’t let it escalate.”

Gianna’s face twisted in false concern. “But isn’t banning her a bit extreme?” she argued, trying to soften Dylan’s resolve. “I agree that she made a mistake, but she is your cousin, Dylan. Sending her away like this… it’s too harsh.”

“Ava is my wife!” Dylan barked, his voice cutting through the room like ice. “And Erica hurt her. If I hadn’t intervened in time, that insane mob of women could have seriously injured her—or worse, they could have even lynched her to death.”

The tension in his jawline was visible. This isn’t just some minor issue. It’s life-threatening.” His tone dropped even lower, colder. “I couldn’t ignore it. I handed those attackers over to the police, and Erica paid for her part in this. I was lenient with her because she is family—otherwise, I would have thrown her to jail.”

Gianna’s insides churned with rage, but she kept her face neutral. How had it come to this? Ava, who had been weak and docile with no courage of retaliation in the past, whom she had humiliated and mocked for so long, had somehow found the strength to fight back. Now, Gianna had lost the support of her only close friend.

Gianna was furious, but she forced herself to remain calm. “Erica was probably acting out of concern for me,” she said, her voice measured. “I’m not excusing what she did but sending her abroad was extreme. You didn’t have to banish her.”

Despite Erica having told her that Dylan had been sending her away to avoid legal consequences, Gianna still argued, expressing her displeasure.

Her words only intensified Dylan’s annoyance. “She has no right to go after my wife,” he snapped, glaring at her. “What happened to you is awful, and I’m doing everything I can to find those responsible. But Ava had nothing to do with it, and it was beyond cruel for Erica to have her beaten like that. I won’t just let it slide.”

He raised a finger, his expression a sharp warning. “And that goes for you too. Don’t mess with Ava. Or you’ll be the next to be banned.”

Gianna felt a chill run down her spine at the intensity in his eyes. For the first time, she realized just how far he was willing to go to protect Ava. The power she thought she held over him was slipping away, and all she could do was silently curse Ava.

As Dylan turned to leave, Gianna’s heart pounded in desperation. Her hands shot out, grabbing his wrist with urgency. “Please don’t go,” she begged, her heart clenching in restlessness as she thought he was going back to Ava. “I’m scared to be alone. Please stay with me.”

Dylan pulled his hand free from her grasp, his expression hard and unyielding. “I’ve already assigned a nurse to look after you. She’ll be here to take care of anything you need.”

“But I need you,” she insisted, desperation creeping into her tone.

Dylan’s response was cold and clipped. “I have important matters to handle. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He stepped toward the door.

Gianna jumped out of the bed and rushed over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face against his back. “Please, Dylan, don’t leave me alone.” She wanted to keep him with her anyhow. “I feel so lonely. Erica is not here, and if you also leave me, I’ll be very sad. I have no one in my family who will come to see me. You are my family. If you leave, I’ll think you no longer care about me. Since I am tainted…”

Her voice trailed off. She sobbed, fake tears filling her eyes.

Her sobs seemed to pierce through his defenses. Dylan’s expression softened, and his stiff resolve began to crumble. He let out a quiet sigh. “Alright, I’m not going anywhere.”

He gently led her back to the bed, easing her down and pulling the blanket over her. “Try to get some rest.”

Gianna hummed softly, curling her lips into a sweet smile. She managed to stop him from leaving. A sense of victory washed over her. ‘You can’t win from me, Ava,’ she whispered to herself.