My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The damning evidence (Part-1)

The news of the reporters questioning Ava reached Dylan. His face darkened with fury, the muscles flexing and relaxing as he fought to contain the anger rising within him. It was a deliberate attempt to shred Ava’s reputation, and Dylan didn’t need to think twice to know who was behind it.

Every part of him screamed to confront her, to end this vicious game and see her pay the price in jail, severing all ties once and for all. But he held himself back.

Ava was the one who had been wronged, and she was the one who should have the right to decide Gianna’s punishment. This was her justice to claim. However, he vowed he’d protect her from any further harm, ensuring Gianna’s schemes wouldn’t succeed.

“Stop this story from spreading,” Dylan commanded fiercely. “If anyone dared to mention about it, just get rid of them.”

Justin nodded with a grim expression. “Understood, sir. I’ll take care of it.”

“Did you send the evidence to Ava?” Dylan asked.

Justin paused, displeased. For the first time, he had hesitated to carry out his boss’s command. However, he couldn’t disregard his orders. Following his word was his duty.

“Yes, she might have received it by now,” he said gruffly. “I just don’t get it.” He couldn’t help but voice his displeasure. “You have a perfect chance here to show Ava you’re fighting for her. Why hold back? You should have punished Gianna on your own.”

Justin’s words stirred emotions he had kept buried for too long. Taking a slow breath, he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had invested trust in her, a trust she had twisted and weaponized. Only he knew how difficult it was to hold himself back, but Ava deserved to lash out her long-held frustration.

“She is Ava’s culprit,” Dylan grumbled, his expression tightening. “Let Ava decide what she should do with Gianna. If I act, I’ll only be robbing her chance to confront Gianna. Ava won’t feel that satisfaction she wants.”

But Justin wasn’t convinced. “Gianna betrayed you too, breaking your trust,” Justin countered. “She manipulated your kindness. Are you going to let her go just like that?” The next moment, his eyes narrowed skeptically as a thought crossed his mind. Was he avoiding punishing Gianna because of his feelings of gratitude toward his dead friend?

“Is it because of your friend?” Justin asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone. “Are you letting your sense of duty toward Gianna cloud your judgment?”

“No.” Dylan’s response was immediate, his muscles tensing. He glared sternly at Justin, “I’ve done more than enough to honor my friend’s favor. I took her in, supported her, and forgave her mistakes repeatedly out of respect for him.”

He balled his fists tighter. “I would have taken care of her for the rest of my life, but she crossed all limits. I can’t ignore it anymore. I am done with protecting her. Whatever I owed to my friend was paid in full. I owe her nothing.”

The finality in Dylan’s tone made Justin relieved. At long last, Dylan had eventually come out of the guilt of his friend’s death and the burden of the responsibility he had carried all those years. All his complaints disappeared.

“Forgive me for questioning you,” Justin said quietly. “I understand now.”

Ava returned home in a daze, the lingering sting from the reporters’ accusations momentarily dulled as she saw her father.

“Papa, you are back.” She smiled, hiding her distress.

“Yes, I thought I would celebrate with you. So I returned early.” Thomas beamed, pulling her into a comforting embrace that she hadn’t realized she needed. “I hope you are happy.”

Ava’s smile wavered for just a moment, but she quickly masked it. “I’m fine, Papa. I’m really glad you came back early.”

“And Ethan will be here soon. Just the three of us—we’ll have a small party,” he announced, with a delightful twinkle in his eye. “I have already brought the champagne.” He pointed at the green bottle in the ice bucket on the dining table.

Ava stretched her lips from ear to ear, the tension lifting her shoulders. “Party sounds perfect,” she said, instilling cheerfulness in her tone.

“Yes. We’ll celebrate your new beginning, your freedom, and the promising future you have. I know how strong and capable you are. Soon, I’ll be ready to hand over the business to you.”

“No, Papa…this is too early for that. I still have so much to learn.” She took his hands in his. “I need your guidance.”

He caressed her head affectionately. “I’m not going anywhere. And you have Ethan’s support too—you’ll never be alone in this.”

“But still, I am not ready to take the huge responsibility right now. Let me enjoy my freedom a bit.”

Thomas chuckled, his expression softening. “Alright, alright, take your time. Go on and freshen up. Ethan will be here soon.”

With a renewed sense of hope, Ava headed toward her room. Just as she took a few steps, the doorbell chimed. Thomas also paused as he was about to settle on the sofa and looked at the door.

“I’ll check.” Ava dropped her bag on the sofa and went to the door. When she opened it, a delivery man stood outside, with a package in his hands.

“Miss Ava? Your parcel,” he announced, extending a clipboard. “Please sign here.”

Ava quickly scribbled her name before taking the package from his hands. She examined it, her brow furrowing. There was no sender’s name, no address. “Strange!” She turned it over in her hands, feeling an odd, unsettled sensation. “Who could have sent this?”

Overserving her troubled look, Thomas grew worried. “Is everything alright?”

Ava lifted her head and met his gaze, offering a reassuring smile. “Yes, everything is fine. It’s… it’s from a friend.” She didn’t tell him the truth. “I’ll go check it.” Grabbing her bag from the sofa, she hurried into her room and closed the door behind her.

Her heart raced as she clutched the mysterious package, her hands trembling slightly as she tore open the wrapping.

Inside, she found a plain folder and a pen drive. Surprise and apprehension mixed with her curiosity. Her fingers trembled slightly as she took out the folder and flipped open the folder, only to freeze at the sight of the photos within.

Those were the photographs of Gianna with Brian, kissing with each other. Her heart pounded as she flipped the page and found a report on Gianna’s phone records. Her call records clearly indicated her explicit connection with Brian and a local gang leader.

The next page documented her transaction details, showing the funds Gianna had wired to Brian and the gang. There was also a report on Gianna hiring a hacker to hack Ava’s bank account.

Ava’s mind whirled as she processed it all. ‘Who could have sent this to me? Nicholas?’