My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 69

Chapter 69: The hidden motive

Nicholas’s face twisted with fury as he processed Ethan’s words. “So you tried to kill me!” he let out a scornful growl, his frown deepening. “Just to take a chance? Do you really think your selfish ambitions justify what you did? No, they don’t. I trusted you—I treated you like family, like a brother. You’ve proven yourself worse than any enemy.”

The tension between them escalated as they locked their eyes fiercely.

“I won’t let you harm me and my family,” Ethan grumbled as he straightened up, standing firm.

“Your family?” Nicholas scoffed sarcastically. “You actually think the Williams family is yours!”

Ethan’s expression hardened. “The Williams trust me. Mr. Williams has always been like a father to me, and I admire him as one.”

He lifted his chin, his confidence shining in his eyes. “Tonight, we’re celebrating Ava’s freedom—she is finally single, and I’m ready to show her how I feel. Mr. Williams will make me his son-in-law soon. The Williams’ business, their fortune—it’ll all be mine, and I won’t let you ruin that. Stay out of my way. Or you’ll regret it.”

With that, Ethan dashed out the door.

Nicholas watched him go, fists clenched, his jaw tight with anger. He finally understood Ethan’s hidden motive. “So that’s it. You’ve been waiting for your chance to claim the Williams fortune all along,” he muttered. “Dream on. I’m going to expose you…slowly.”

When Ethan arrived at the Williams family house, his gaze immediately found Ava, radiant in a deep red gown that accentuated her elegance. She was laughing softly with her father, pouring champagne into glasses, her every move graceful and inviting. Ethan’s pulse quickened; he could barely keep his eyes off her.

His presence caught her attention. “Ethan!” Ava turned, flashing him a warm smile. “You’re just in time. Come and join us.”

Thomas also turned toward him and flashed a warm smile.

Ethan, with his heart thumping inside his ribcage, approached them, his steps calculative, eyes never leaving Ava. As he came closer to them, his gaze dropped to the bouquet of red tulips in his hands.

Before he could speak, Ava’s eyes lit up as she spotted the tulips. “Is this for me?” she squealed with delight.

He nodded, managing a quiet, “Yes,” and handed her the bouquet.

“Oh, thank you so much, Ethan!” she exclaimed, smiling gleefully. “You remembered I love tulips.” Her fingers traced delicately over the petals, her eyes softening.

“How could I forget that?”

“Thank you, Ethan. You have no idea how happy this makes me.” Ava hugged him.

Ethan’s heart leaped to his throat, his arms shooting up to take her into his embrace.

Ava pulled away, beaming. “I’ll put these in a vase in my room.”

“You can keep them wherever you want. As long as you’re happy, that’s all I care about.” He gazed at her with longing and affection.

Ava couldn’t see his hidden feelings. She marched to her room to keep the flowers. Ethan’s gaze lingered on her retreating figure, emotions swirling beneath his calm exterior.

“It’s been a long time since I saw her so happy.” Thomas’s voice forced him to tear his gaze from Ava. When Ethan turned, he found Thomas’s face glowing with joy and hope.

“I want to see her happy always,” Thomas added.

“She will be,” Ethan replied firmly. “I’ll make sure of it. From now on, no one will be able to hurt her. I’ll take care of her.”

Thomas nodded, his expression delightful. “Have a seat.” He gestured toward the chair across from him and handed Ethan a glass of champagne.

Ethan thanked him as he accepted the glass and sat down. Meanwhile, Ava returned, a smile brightening her face.

“Congratulations, Ava,” Ethan and Thomas said together, raising their glasses.

“I wish you a promising future,” Thomas added, his voice full of warmth.

“You are overwhelming me.” Ava’s eyes turned watery all of a sudden. She leaned down and hugged her father. “My life is beautiful when you are with me. I want nothing else.”

Thomas chuckled softly, stroking her hair. “I’m right here, sweetheart. Now, let’s sit and eat.”

They started eating, chatting happily. Ethan’s gaze lingered on Ava a little longer than usual every time he looked at her. This moment was magical, and he wanted it to remain like this. The happiness between them, and a promising future with Ava were what he dreamed of. For that, he could do anything. He wouldn’t let Nicholas ruin his peaceful and beautiful life.

As dinner ended, Ava rose from the table and went to clean the dishes. Ethan quickly followed her into the kitchen to help her.

“Let me help you,” he offered gently.

“There is no need,” she turned him down politely. “You should sit down and talk to Papa.”

“I want to help you,” he insisted. “The sink is full of dishes. It’ll take a lot of time for you to wash them alone. Let me help.”

A nostalgic smile flickered across Ava’s face as she recalled their childhood—running around the house, working on school projects, and curling up to watch cartoons together. Those memories filled her with warmth. Finally, she relented, placing a dish towel in his hands.

“Fine. I’ll wash the dishes. Your job is to dry them and put them away. And don’t give me a reason to complain!”

“Got it.” Ethan nodded readily, enjoying being with her. “What is your plan now?” he asked. “Are you going to continue working at the Asco Corporations?”

Ava’s expression shifted, her face set with quiet resolve. “No,” she replied without hesitation. “I don’t want anything more to do with Dylan. I’m going back to Williams Holdings to focus on the new project I proposed.”

Ethan was happy that Ava was coming back to Williams Holdings. “That’s awesome. Since you are divorced, you shouldn’t work there. We’ll work hard together and overcome the recent setbacks.”

“Of course,” Ava beamed confidently. “With Nicholas’s backing, we will soon overcome the losses. I’ll show Dylan we can still rise without him.”

Ethan’s face fell the moment he heard her mention Nicholas, his insides twisting in resentment. “I don’t know how trustworthy he is.” He spoke carefully, trying to mask his irritation. “He may not be as genuine as he seems. I don’t want you to trust him blindly. People like him often have hidden motives.”

“Relax, Ethan. I’ll be careful.” Ava dismissed his concern with a gentle smile. “Now talk less and focus on work at hand,” she chided him softly, turning her attention to washing the remaining dishes.

Ethan managed a small, strained smile, though a knot of worry remained in his chest. Resigned, he turned his focus to the task at hand, but he couldn’t ignore the anxiety creeping in.

How was he supposed to stop her from relying on Nicholas?