My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 59

Chapter 59: The jealousy

Just as Justin walked down the hallway, he ran into Gianna.

“Justin!” Gianna was taken aback to see him there. “Why are you here? Is Dylan okay?”

“Yes, he is fine,” Justin replied shortly.

“I went to the office, but he wasn’t there,” Gianna said, worry etching her voice. “His secretary said he hadn’t come in today. I thought he might be unwell, so I came to check on him.”

“He just wanted to take some rest. That’s all. I suggest you don’t disturb him.” Justin didn’t want her to trouble Dylan, who was already so stressed. “You should leave.”

The subtle command in his voice didn’t sit well with Gianna. Her face darkened, lips twisting in annoyance. “Don’t tell me what I should do,” she snapped. “I know what’s good for him. If he is not feeling well, I’ll take care of him.”

She flicked her hair behind her shoulder and walked up the stairs to the first floor.

Gianna went straight to the study.

“Dylan, are you there?” she asked as she knocked on the door and opened it, walking in. She saw him leaning on his chair with his eyes closed. “Are you alright?” she asked worriedly, approaching him.

“Why are you here?” Dylan asked, not even opening his eyes.

Gianna’s steps faltered, his cold tone making her shiver slightly. She bit her lip, trying to maintain her composure. “I went to the office looking for you,” she murmured. “I was worried when I found out you didn’t go. I thought you might not be feeling well.”

This wasn’t her real intention to show up there. She had hoped Dylan would take legal action against Ava, but nothing had happened as she had anticipated. All he had done was pull out his investments from Williams Holdings. This wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to see Ava suffer.

“I’m fine,” Dylan replied curtly, still not meeting her gaze. He sat up straight, turning on his laptop. “I have things to finish. You should leave.”

The way he dismissed her stung more than she expected. Gianna’s hand trembled slightly, but she refused to back down. She stepped closer to him and asked, “Why haven’t you taken action against Ava? I thought you would call the police by now. Why are you protecting her?”

Her frustration was palpable in her tone. “She ruined me. She had me attacked and humiliated—how can you let her go like this?”

When he lifted his eyes from the laptop screen and met hers, they were filled with a storm of emotions she couldn’t decipher. “I’m not letting anyone go,” he growled, his loud voice making her flinch. “But I’ll punish the one who deserves it.”

Gianna felt her hair rise on her nape, her confidence wavering for the first time since entering the room. Dylan’s expression was unreadable, and for a moment, she thought he had found out about her lies and that he would take action against her. However, she brushed off that feeling, reminding herself that the thief had taken Ava’s name. She had deftly hidden the truth, putting all the blame on Ava.

There was no way Dylan could discover the truth. Not yet.

Forcing herself to appear vulnerable, she lowered her gaze and said dejectedly, “I know you will punish the one responsible, but…” She paused and then added, “I don’t understand why you haven’t informed the police yet. Ava—she deserves to face justice for what she did. Shouldn’t you file a case?”

Before she could finish, Dylan cut her off with a sharp, icy tone. “I’m not doing that.”

Gianna blinked, stunned. “Why not?” Disbelief flashed across her face. “After everything she has done, she should be in jail. If you let her go, she’ll come after me again.”

“I just had a press conference clearing Ava’s name,” Dylan reasoned. “If I turn around now and accuse her, it’ll destroy my credibility. People will mock me. It’ll damage the company’s reputation as well. Don’t tell me how to handle this.”

His anger made her shrink back, her confidence crumbling under his fierce gaze. “I— I understand,” she stammered, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

She hurried out of the room, barely able to contain her rising frustration. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, her expression darkened. Fury bubbled to the surface, twisting her features. She paused, glancing back at the room over her shoulder.

“Dylan,” she muttered through clenched teeth. “You’ve disappointed me. You think you’re saving Ava, but you won’t succeed. I’ll make sure of that.”

She stomped her feet and left furiously.

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

Dylan and Ava sat in the civil affairs bureau, the air thick with tension. They had just signed the divorce agreement. Both sat grimly, not saying a word. Ava’s heart ached, torn between the relief of escape and the bittersweet pain of loss.

Finally, Dylan broke the silence, “This marriage will be over after a three-month cooling period. You must be happy.” His lips curled into a sneer; his chest heavy.

Ava turned to him, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Yes, I am happy. I don’t have to endure your coldness anymore.” She rose from the chair and walked out of the room.

Dylan also exited the room, his steps heavy. The cold air hit his face, but he hardly noticed; everything around him seemed dull and lifeless. It was as if his world had abruptly lost its color. The surroundings were silent for him as if the world had abandoned him.

He had never thought divorcing Ava would be so painful, so suffocating. He had the impression that he had lost something valuable.

‘I made a mistake,’ the thought drummed in his mind. Every instinct of him urged him to pull her back and remarry her instantly. As he watched her walking farther away from him, his restlessness grew. A desperate need surged within him, prompting him to hurry after her. But his steps came to an abrupt halt when he saw Nicholas approaching Ava with a bouquet of flowers.

Dylan’s breath caught in his throat as he watched Ava with Nicholas, who was smiling warmly at her. His chest tightened painfully. The sight of Ava smiling at Nicholas felt like a knife twisting in his gut.

“What is she doing with him?” he muttered.

A deep frown etched into his brow as jealousy flared inside him. Was Nicholas the reason she had been so eager to end their marriage? He couldn’t tear his eyes away from them, watching as Ava accepted the flowers, her posture relaxed in a way it hadn’t been with him. A storm of emotions surged through him—regret, anger, longing—but above all, an overwhelming sense of loss.

“Congratulations. You’re finally single.”

“Thank you.” Ava beaming. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Nicholas smiled sheepishly. “I’ve my selfish reason. Since you are single now, I can pursue you.”

Ava laughed softly. “You are flattering me. Why would you pursue me while leaving all the other eligible women?”

“Because you saved me twice, and you are beautiful. This is enough for me.”

Ava shook her head, her smile never leaving her face. “I just ended my marriage with Dylan. I don’t want a relationship…”

“I am not asking you to answer right away,” Nicholas interrupted her. “Take your time. There is no hurry.”

Just then, Dylan appeared at a breakneck speed and snatched the bouquet from her, throwing it down. Before Ava could react, he grabbed her arm roughly and spun her to face him. “So this is why you were so eager to divorce me? Because of him?” His voice was full of accusation, his eyes blazing. “Have you been cheating on me this whole time?”