My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: The accusation

Ava’s expression hardened. She wasn’t about to back down now. She shook her head firmly, rejecting his plea. “No one else will stand up to Dylan, and no one will help us. Nicholas is the only one who can stand up to Dylan. I’ve made up my mind. There is no turning back.”

Ethan’s frustration boiled over as he tried to reason with her. “How are you so sure he’ll help us? He is a complete stranger! You shouldn’t get close to him. What if he deceives you? Uses you to get back at Dylan, or even hurt us more than we can imagine? And who knows what he’ll want in return?” His voice rose with each word he uttered.

“I’m not ‘getting close’ to him,” she shot back, her gaze sharpening as she locked eyes with Ethan. “This is just a business deal. We’ll offer him a share of the profits in exchange for his investment. That’s it. Why are you acting so panicked?”

Ethan’s restlessness sparked a flicker of doubt in her mind. “Are you hiding something from me?” she asked skeptically, her eyes narrowing as she studied him more closely.

Ethan immediately looked away, his heart sinking. He feared that she would learn the darkest past of him. “No, I’m not hiding anything,” he lied, his muscles taut with tension. “I’m just worried. That’s all.”

Ava’s expression didn’t soften. “I know what I am doing, Ethan,” Ava said with cold certainty. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d cooperate with me instead of trying to stop me. This is the best for the company’s interest.”

She turned around and walked away.

Ethan stood frozen, his hands curling into tight fists as he watched her leave. He felt powerless, his heart racing with frustration and anxiety. “Why won’t you give me a chance?” he muttered under his breath.

Ava came out to the parking lot, heading toward her car. Someone tugged at her arm from behind and pulled her to the corner with a force that made her gasp. Before she could understand what was happening, she was shoved against the wall.

Her breathing hitched as she looked at the man hovering over her. His hands clamped down on her arms, his anger vibrating through his entire frame.

“Dylan—what are you doing?” She panicked as she met his blazing eyes. “You are hurting me.”

“Does it hurt?” he hissed dangerously. “Good. You deserve it for being so cruel, Ava. I never thought you could sink this low.”

Her mind reeled at his words. Cruel? What was he talking about? Confusion clouded her thoughts as she tried to make sense of his furious actions.

“I thought you were the victim in this marriage,” Dylan continued, his tone cold and biting. “I blamed myself for not being there for you, for being distant. I felt guilty, thinking my neglect allowed Gianna and Erica to torment you. But this? This is beyond anything I could have imagined. You orchestrated Gianna’s kidnapping to get back on her!”

“What are you talking about?” The accusation took her off guard. “That’s not true! I didn’t—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” His fingers dug deeper into her skin, forcing a wince of pain from her. “Those men confessed! They said you paid them to kidnap her, to take revenge on Gianna. And because of you, she was raped. How could you be so heartless?”

Ava felt as if the sky had fallen on her head. Her mind was in disarray, unable to figure out what was happening.

“These are all lies!” she shouted with desperation, shoving Dylan away with every ounce of strength she had left. “I didn’t hire anyone to kidnap Gianna. Those people are lying! I would never…”

“Lies?” Dylan sneered, towering over her with eyes blazing. “I have evidence against you.”

Ava was even more shocked. What evidence could he possibly have? Before she could ask a question, he continued disdainfully, “I was worried when I heard a thief try to snatch your bag. So I tracked him down. I wanted to make him pay for attacking you, but what he told me was shocking. I couldn’t believe it.”

Ava’s confusion deepened. That thief had tried to snatch her bag. What connection might he have with those kidnappers? And what did he tell Dylan?

“You promised the kidnappers two million dollars—but you only paid half. That man came to demand the rest of the money.”

“No…” Ava cried out instantly. “I didn’t pay anyone! That man is lying. He tried to rob me, and I fought back. I didn’t—”

“Enough!” Dylan’s voice boomed, cutting her off sharply. His face contorted with rage. “I won’t listen to any more of your lies.”

“I am telling you the truth.” Panic surged through Ava’s veins as she reached out and grabbed his hands. “Dylan, you have to believe me. I’m a woman—I would never do this to another woman even if I don’t like her. Someone is framing me.”

“Really?” In one swift motion, he pulled out a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and thrust it into her hands. “Look at this. This is proof that you wired money to the kidnappers.”

Ava’s hands trembled as she unfolded the paper. Her eyes scanned the document, her heart sinking deeper with a mix of shock and disbelief. It was a bank transfer—her name was there, her account details. But how? She had never sent this money. She stared at the paper, her mind reeling.

The numbers and names on the document blurred before her eyes. How could this be? She hadn’t touched that account in years.

“Dylan, listen to me. I didn’t transfer the money,” she said, her desperation evident in her voice. “I don’t even use this account anymore. There wasn’t enough balance either. There is no way a million dollars could have been moved from it. This is a setup, a conspiracy.”

Dylan’s expression twisted into a look of utter disdain. “A conspiracy?” he roared, his fists balled at his sides. “So you’re telling me that Gianna arranged for herself to be raped just to frame you?”

“I don’t know who is behind this,” Ava said, her restlessness growing. “But it wasn’t me. Please believe me.”

“Believe you!” He scrunched up his face. “All the evidence points to you. The thugs said your name. They told me you gave them instructions to hurt Gianna. What am I supposed to believe?”

His rage exploded in a violent burst as he slammed his fist against the wall beside her, the impact so strong that his knuckles split open, blood dripping from the fresh wounds. Ava flinched, tears stinging her eyes. It felt like no words she could say would break through the wall of anger he had built between them.