My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: You are heartless.

Ava’s pulse quickened with dread as she feared Dylan would target Nicholas. “You!” Her hand shot up, her finger pointed at him, masking her worry under the façade of her defiant look. “Don’t trouble him. I am warning you.”

“Then be obedient,” he hissed, grabbing her wrist. But before she could pull away, his arm closed around her wrist, drawing her tight against his chest, leaving barely any space between them.

“Get off me.” She struggled against his hold, but it only seemed to make his grip stronger.

Dylan’s heart suddenly raced without warning, and he wanted to kiss her hard, his gaze dropping to her lips. “If you want Nicholas safe, you’ll stay,” he murmured hoarsely, almost betraying his emotions. “Work for me for three months. Don’t let me down, and we’ll see what I do next.”

“You are heartless,” she hissed, fury radiating from her eyes.

Dylan’s jaw tightened, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. “Yes, I am. Hate me as much as you want.” And before she could react, he tilted her chin up, pressing his lips to hers in a fierce, possessive kiss, one hand threading into her hair as he held her close, unwilling to let her go.

In the meantime, the door was pushed open and Gianna walked in. Her steps came to an abrupt halt at the doorstep, frozen by the sight before her.

Dylan held Ava close, his eyes burning with intensity, seemingly furious to see her enter without his permission. “How many times should I have to tell you to knock on the door before entering?” he growled.

“Leave me alone.” Ava wrestled herself free, her expression a mix of anger and disgust. “Disgusting,” as she stormed past Gianna, her shoulders tense, fury radiating from her with every step.

Gianna’s fists clenched by her sides as she watched Ava disappear down the hallway, jealousy twisting in her chest. ‘Ava, you witch,’ she seethed inwardly. ‘You are still seducing him even after divorce!’

“What is it?” Dylan’s sharp voice snapped her back with a start. “Why are you here?” His tone was ice as he settled back in his chair, pinning her with an irritated and unimpressed look. “You never take my words seriously, do you? Can’t you knock on the door?”

Gianna was still furious. She wouldn’t have caught him kissing Ava if she had knocked on the door and waited for his permission. But she forced herself to swallow her anger and mask her true feelings with a look of feigned embarrassment.

“I am sorry, Dylan.” She took a tentative step forward, her face twisted into an expression of worry. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but I heard something troubling about Ava, and I just…rushed over without thinking.”

“What did you hear about Ava?” Dylan squinted at her skeptically, wondering if she had done something against Ava yet again.

Gianna seized the chance, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “She seems quite close to Nicholas,” she blurted out with feigned concern. “One of my friends saw them together. Maybe she was seeing him even while she was still married to you—is that why she was so eager to go through with this divorce?”

She deliberately said that to make him angry, hoping he would take action against Ava. But his response was different from what she had expected.

“Enough!” Dylan snapped, his eyes ablaze. Although the thought of Ava with another man stirred a fire in him, he refused to let Gianna twist it into something malicious. “You really ran here to tell me this? Don’t you have anything else to do?”

Gianna was stunned, her jaw dropping in disbelief. This wasn’t the reaction she had anticipated. She stammered, searching for words. “I just thought…you should know,” she muttered, taken aback.

“Don’t trouble yourself about who she meets,” he said coldly. “Now get out and let me work.”

His dismissive tone cut her deeply, her mouth clamped shut. Gianna could only clench her fists by her sides, fury simmering as she turned on her heel and stalked out of his office. The plan she had carefully crafted had crumbled before her eyes, leaving her both humiliated and enraged. She wouldn’t have been so helpless if Erica was there with her.

“Dylan, you have changed,” she muttered, glancing at the closed door. “I can’t believe this. How could he defend Ava? Your enemy’s daughter?” It seemed impossible to believe that Dylan, once so resolved to keep his distance from Ava, was now protecting her. “You might have forgotten everything, but I haven’t. I’ll not let you forget.”

Her anger soon turned to Ava. “You witch! I’ll not spare you.” She went to the COO’s office.

On the other hand, Ava muttered curses under her breath, berating Dylan.

“Why did he kiss me again?” she seethed, her face contorting in exasperation. “He is infuriating. One moment he is accusing me of hurting Gianna, and the next, he is kissing me! Has he forgotten we’re in the middle of a divorce? What is he even thinking? Ugh!”

Just as she was unlashing her fury, the door swung open violently, and Gianna stormed in like a tempest.

Ava’s posture immediately stiffened, her eyes narrowing with cold intensity as memories of Gianna’s lies and manipulations flashed through her mind, only fueling her anger further.

“Bitch!” Gianna spat, striding forward with hostility. “How dare you seduce Dylan? You’re utterly shameless! Even after the divorce, you still cling to him! Why can’t you just leave him alone?”

Gianna’s words ignited a fire within her, and Ava wanted nothing but to punch her and disfigure her face. However, this wouldn’t be enough for her. She wanted her to face public scrutiny; Gianna should suffer the same humiliation and slander.

And for now, she would just fuel her anger and let her combust slowly. She leaned back, crossing her arms casually, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

“We are not divorced yet,” Ava said coolly. “We still have three months, and it’s very much possible that we could reconcile. Is that a problem for you?”

The words struck Gianna like a slap, provoking her further. “Dream on,” she hissed with contempt. “He will never reconcile with you.”

“Are you sure about that?” Ava shot back. “Look, he hasn’t accepted my resignation. That must mean he wants us to work on our relationship. And you saw it yourself—he kissed me. What do you think that means? He certainly doesn’t want to end our marriage like this.”

Gianna clenched her fists at her sides, her body trembling with barely contained rage. But she quickly composed herself, a sly smile creeping onto her lips. “You really think he wants you back? No…He is just toying with you. His heart and soul are with me.”

With an air of arrogance, Gianna squared her shoulders and lifted her chin defiantly. “Next week is my birthday, and I’m going to propose to him. I’m sure he’ll say yes. Soon, I’ll be Dylan’s wife, and you’ll be nothing but a faded memory in his life.”

With that, she dashed out the door.

Ava remained still in her seat, her expression gloomy. Then her lips curled slowly into a smile. “I can’t wait to congratulate you then. Let’s see if you like my gift or not.”