Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Viktor
“ A ll this shit and we aren’t any closer to figuring it out.” I tell Oliver.
“I know. But you can’t lose your cool.” Oliver’s calm attitude pisses me off.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Someone had the balls to attack us. Not to mention Derek could have been killed over what? There isn’t shit at the warehouse.” I’m livid.
“I get it. But you need to stay clear-headed. Our father will want retaliation. And we both know that won’t solve the problem.”
I run my fingers through my hair to calm myself. But it isn’t working. “Let’s call it a night. I need to clear my head. There’s nothing more to do here.” I need to get away. I need some peace, a distraction.
“Why don’t we go to Eros and have a few drinks,” suggests Oliver.
“You go ahead. I’m going home.” And there it is. I want to go home where Ava is waiting for me. I look at the time. She should be about to eat dinner.
“Do you want me to come?” Oliver queries.
I find the question odd. Why the sudden interest? He never comes to the house unless we’re working.
“I don’t want to talk shop for the rest of the night.”
“Call if you change your mind,” he says.
I nod. I need a break from this shit and, honestly, from him.
On my drive, I think of calling Ava to let her know I’m on my way. Our last conversation wasn’t the best. Instead, I call Mary to ask about dinner. She tells me Ava is changing for dinner. I’m starving and want to think about something else. The shit with the warehouse has me on edge. I’m missing something. Maybe after a good meal, Ava’s distraction, and sleep, everything will be clearer in the morning.
The house is quiet except for the sound of Ava talking to Mary. Her voice is sweet velvet. She sounds carefree, as she should be. I stand by the kitchen door. Mary spots me, but I tell her not to alert Ava with a look. Ava is wearing a pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater. It’s a simple look, but it’s like a set of diamonds on her.
“I don’t know what I want to do. Never really thought about it,” Ava admits.
“There must be something that interests you,” coaxes Mary
“I loved working at the boutique. I like looking at designs and helping women find what makes them feel beautiful,” Ava replies thoughtfully.
“That sounds good,” I interject.
She looks surprised to hear me.
“I didn’t know you were here.” She tells me.
“I just got home.”
“Dinner should be ready in ten minutes,” Mary adds.
“We’ll be in the dining room.” Ava looks between Mary and me. At first, she looks like she doesn’t like what I said. Eventually, she takes a deep breath and walks toward me.
“Good girl,” I say with an indulgent smile. She sneers, and I chuckle. “How was your day?”
“I don’t want to be stuck in this house.”
“You aren’t stuck in this house. Tomorrow your driver will start. You’ll be able to go anywhere.” I don’t tell her that the driver will also serve as her bodyguard. I don’t want her unprotected when she isn’t with me. With the attack and my father, I won’t take any chances.
“I can take myself anywhere. I don’t need a driver,” she declares as she sits.
“Yet, that is my decision, and it’s final.”
“Why do you want to tell me what to do? Don’t you want to be with someone who can think for herself?”
“We aren’t together. This is your job. Don’t forget that.” I point out, feeling like I need to drill it in her to avoid future issues.
“Right, because I forgot why I’m here for one second.”
Her words are sarcastic, and I want to respond. But luckily for her, Mary walks in with dinner.
“Are you interested in learning about running your own boutique or designing clothes?” I ask as Mary serves. Ava perks up at the question, and I see the excitement in her eyes.
“I’d never really thought about it. It wasn’t exactly an option.”
“Things are different now. You have everything at your disposal. Perhaps you might be interested in taking a class or two.” She smiles, and it brings me satisfaction.
“Can I?”
“Of course. I’ll have Oliver drop off material for you to look at.”
“No, thank you. I’ll do my own research.” Her tone changes, more serious. The spark in her eyes from seconds ago is gone.
“Is there a problem with Oliver?” I look at her, striving to figure out what the problem is.
“I don’t want to bother him with something trivial when I can do it myself.” Her mouth is saying one thing, but her tone says another. Something happened between them last night, I’m certain of it.
“I expect you to tell me if there are any issues with my staff.”
“I will.” She looks away from me.
“See what you can find. Money isn’t an issue. When you find something, let me know, and I’ll pay for it.” She looks tense. If she won’t tell me what happened, I’ll demand an explanation from Oliver. There’s a long silence.
“How was your day?” She finally asks.
“Busy and long.”
“What do you do exactly?” I hadn’t thought she’d ask about my work. Everyone knows about the family business.
“I dabble in a few things.”
“Like what?” She takes a bite.
“Nothing interesting. Running an empire.”
“Are you avoiding the question? Because you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want. All you have to say is you don’t want to talk about it.”
“I don’t want to talk about work.”
“Fair enough. What do you want to talk about then?” Her question is simple, but it throws me off guard.
“We can talk about anything but work.”
“Who and when was your last girlfriend?”
“Aren’t you the curious one?” I respond sarcastically.
“We’re supposed to be getting married. I need to know who you are. I don’t need to be caught off guard.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“Why did you guys end it?”
“It’s complicated.”
“How long were you together?”
“I don’t want to talk about my past relationships.”
“How am I supposed to get to know you?”
“People aren’t going to question you about my exes,” I say, louder than I should.
“Never mind.” She goes back to eating. Or at least pretending to eat. She’s pushing her food around.
“You need to eat. I need you to be healthy.”
“I lost my appetite. For your information, I am healthy. Thank you very much.” She pushes her plate forward and starts to stand.
“Sit,” I demand.
“I’m done,” she insists.
“I’m not.”
“Are you ordering me to sit and wait until you dismiss me?”
“Yes.”
“Who do you think you are? You don’t own me.”
“For the next year, I do. You will do as I order you to.”
“Fuck you and your orders.” She starts to leave. I stand, and she sees my intention, so she breaks into a run. “Stop, Ava.” But she doesn’t. “It will only be worse when I catch you.”
If she heard me, it didn’t matter. She runs upstairs, and her bedroom door slams shut a second later. If she thinks a door will protect her from me, she is very mistaken.