My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Start from scratch.

Dylan fell silent. For years, he had harbored a bitter resentment toward Thomas, fueled by what he had thought was irrefutable proof of the man’s involvement in killing his parents. He had never thought of looking into the accident of his parents. But now, with the nightmares surfacing night after night, his conviction was wavering.

The dreadful feeling of losing everything, including his own life, had made him realize that something miserable had happened in his past life. The nightmares were more than just dreams—they felt like fractured memories from another life. Because of someone’s sinister plan, he and the Williams family had met tragic, agonizing ends.

Dylan had no way of proving it, but the intensity of the visions left him shaken stirring an instinctive sense that someone had orchestrated this web of vengeance. Yet, he couldn’t utter a word about his suspicions to anyone. No one would believe tales of rebirth and fragmented memories. People would only think that he had lost his mind.

“Can’t you simply follow my commands without asking questions?” he snapped, pretending to be irritated. “I just… I can’t shake the feeling that we missed something. Someone deliberately tampered with the evidence back then, misguided me, and made me believe that Thomas was the culprit. But the actual mastermind is hiding in the shadows.”

He clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the phone unconsciously as the image of the faceless woman in his nightmare crossed his mind. He would dig deeper into it.

“Just don’t ask me anything now,” he cautioned Justin. “Start from scratch. I want every angle examined, every possible lead, no matter how small. Talk to the witness again. Find out if he had lied back then. Do anything but I want the truth this time.” His tone left no room for questions.

“Alright, I get it,” Justin replied, his tone matching the seriousness of Dylan’s. “I’ll look at this whole incident from a different angle. By the way, Mr. Williams doesn’t seem to be too cruel to kill your parents. I’ll be more than happy if I can prove that he is innocent. I’ll do my best, sir.”

Inside the bathroom…

Ava stood under the cascade of warm water and let the warm water fall freely on herself, her mind drifting back to Dylan’s words. His plea for a second chance was unexpected. For the first time, she had seen him so desperate, trying to save their failing marriage. It was surprising.

She was the one who had tirelessly tried to make this marriage work, but she had received only coldness and humiliation from his side. Now, it was as if she were facing an entirely different person. What had shifted in him? Was the last night’s incident a trigger point?

Ava shook her head, pushing the questions aside. “Who cares?”

He had hurt her too deeply, broken her trust in ways she could never forget. Whatever reason was behind his sudden change of heart, it wasn’t enough to rebuild the love she had once felt for him. She had agreed to give him one last chance—but only to understand his motives and protect her family.

Turning off the shower, Ava wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out of the bathroom. She glanced around the room, surprised to find it empty.

“Has he already gone?” she muttered, half expecting to find some sign of his presence.

For a brief moment, a flicker of disappointment crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as quickly as it came. She shrugged and turned to enter the closet.

Ring-Ring…

Her phone rang, making her halt in her tracks. She walked over to the side table and saw Nicholas’s name glowing on the screen. ‘He must be worried about me,’ she thought as she picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Ava, are you alright?” Nicholas’s voice was laced with anxiety, his concern pouring through the line. “Did Dylan hurt you? Did he… do anything?”

Ava paused, collecting her thoughts. Dylan hadn’t hurt her. Quite the opposite, in fact—he had been unexpectedly protective. “No, he didn’t hurt me,” she said softly. “He… actually helped me.”

“Are you sure you are okay?” He seemed unconvinced.

“I am fine, Nicholas – don’t worry,” she assured him.

“That’s a relief.” He let out a small sigh. “But listen, there is something serious I need to tell you.” His tone shifted, weighted with urgency. “You were drugged last night.”

Ava’s heart skipped. She already knew, of course, but hadn’t expected Nicholas to discover it, too. She stayed silent, listening intently as he went on.

“I’ve had people watching Gianna closely,” Nicholas continued. “Last night, she was seen conspiring with a waitress at the party. The waitress confessed Gianna paid her to spike Dylan’s drink. But somehow… you ended up with the drugged wine instead.”

“What? You captured the waitress!” Ava felt a surge of shock ripples through her.

“Yes, she is under my watch,” Nicholas confirmed. “And she is ready to testify against Gianna. We have the proof we need.”

“That’s great,” Ava beamed. The footage Dylan had sent showed the waitress mixing something in the wine, but it wasn’t enough to implicate Gianna directly. Now, with the waitress’s confession, she had what she needed to expose Gianna’s twisted schemes.

“Thank you so much, Nicholas. You make me really happy.” Nicholas had taken such a measure – capturing the waitress, gathering evidence against Gianna. Her chest swelled with gratitude. “You did so much for me. I don’t know what to say.”

“We are a team, remember? Together, we’ll expose Gianna.”

Ava nodded, still smiling. “Yes, we’re a team. I’m looking forward to her birthday celebration now. When she is basking in her own arrogance, we’ll be there to watch her downfall. I can’t wait to see her fall from grace.”

“Can we meet tomorrow?” he asked cautiously. “There is an art exhibition happening, and I thought it’d be nice if you came with me.”

Nicholas crossed his fingers, his heart thumping in nervousness. His paintings were also going to be displayed in this exhibition, and he wanted to take her there.

“An art exhibition?” she repeated, her interest sparking. “I’ve never been to one before, and it sounds wonderful. I’d love to go.”

“That’s… amazing,” Nicholas said, his voice lighting up with excitement. He smiled gleefully, his nervousness turning to unrestrained joy. “I’ll come pick you up.”

“No, don’t come here,” Ava denied him, fearing Dylan would get furious to see her with him. “Send me the address. It’s just better that way.”

Though Nicholas felt a flicker of disappointment, he didn’t let it show. “Of course. I’ll send it to you right away. See you tomorrow.”