chapter 25
Avira
The hostility meter tells me I’m still deep in Leo’s red zone. So, to pull myself out of it, I gulp down the delicious pancake made by my man.
“Leo, I’m thinking about calling Lyn for girls’ night today.”
He gives me a safe smile.
“She won’t agree to come into his house,” Zoan says, before taking a small bite into his mouth—so elegantly that I ache to kiss his slowly moving lips.
I drag my mind away from his mouth and warn him, “He doesn’t like hearing that.”
Zoan smirks. “Then he should’ve thought of that before he fucked up four years ago.”
My eyes widen at the taboo words coming out of his mouth. My head snaps toward Leo, who is already glaring at Zoan. Then the obvious realization slams into me, Leo can bully me all he wants for pissing him off, but he can’t do the same to Zoan. Fire can’t burn fire.
Leo’s smile returns, sharp and slow, as his gaze slides back to me.
“How was your date with Marco?”
I rub my throat to force the nausea down. “It was amazing.”
He nods. “So, it’s a yes.”
I glance at Zoan. “Whatever Zoan says.”
Leo lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Then it’s a yes.”
I hold his gaze, locking on to the cold determination burning in his ice-blue eyes. He won’t back down.
“I’d like to marry him next week,” I say bitterly.
His jaw ticks. My eyes drift downward, catching the whitened knuckles on his hand, the fork straining in his grip as if he might snap it in two.
“Alright,” Leo says. “I’ll give the good news to everyone.”
I nod at him with a smile.
With no mood left to continue breakfast, I push back my chair and return to my room.
I grab my phone and start a group video call with my girls.
Autumn picks up first, her sweet smile lighting up the screen. “Hey, Avi.”
Lyn joins next, the sound of cars and chatter behind her showing she’s outside on the street. “Hey, girls.”
Finally, Wen appears with a playful grin. “Oh my God, so many beautiful faces on a single screen.”
“I’m getting married next week,” I announce flatly.
“What?!” Wen and Autumn shout in unison.
“I’m coming to your place,” Lyn says with a sharp frown before instantly disconnecting her end of the call.
“And Zo is fine with the idea?” Wen asks, her brows furrowed in worry.
“Wait, why would Zo have any issue?” Autumn asks.
The screen goes silent.
“Guys, what is it that I don’t know?” she presses, narrowing her eyes.
Wen sighs, then begins explaining. “Zo and Avi… they’ve got this complicated thing going on…” She fills Autumn in with the details.
“Fuck,” Autumn mutters. “Then why are you marrying someone else?”
A knock sounds at my door. “Wait a sec, girls.” I set my phone down and walk over.
When I open the door, Lyn is standing there, frowning. She strides inside and shuts the door firmly behind her.
I grab my phone, disconnect the call, and slide it into the bedside drawer before facing her. “Connect the call from your phone.”
Her brows pinch. “Why did you disconnect?”
“There’s always a chance Zoan might be listening in on my conversations.”
Her eyes go wide. “What the fuck? Are you serious?”
I shrug. “He’s my full-time stalker.”
She shakes her head, disbelief plain on her face. “And you’re okay with that?”
I grin. “As long as it’s Zoan, I don’t have a problem with a stalker.”
She groans, pulling out her phone. “You’re a lost case.”
She connects the call, Wen and Autumn are discussing my mess. Lyn sets her phone on the table and flips it so the call projects into the air between us, now both girls can see the two of us in the same frame.
“What’s your plan, Avi?” Wen asks.
“My plan is very simple and ancient,” I say. “Zoan says he wants me to have a happy life with someone else, then he gets jealous enough to kill Roxion when he sees me happy with him. So I’ll just accelerate that process.” I shrug.
“And what if he refuses? Say he doesn’t want you to marry Roxion, then what?” Autumn asks.
“My plan is to keep a secret relationship with him. The idea of making it public isn’t pleasant.”
“You can’t keep a secret relationship forever, Avi,” Lyn says from beside me.
I sigh. “I don’t know. I just want to be with him, even if I have to hide our love from the world.
” I know what I’m giving up to be with him, the guilt of lying to the family that raised me, the stains on Daddy and Mama’s reputations.
My dramatic mind feeds me cruel scenarios of what people will say about them, and about Zoan and me.
“Let’s not talk about some far future we can’t predict,” Wen says.
Autumn nods. Lyn squeezes my shoulder. “Don’t be sad.”
“We’re with you, Avi. If one day your secret blows up, we’ll stand by you and shut everyone up,” Autumn promises.
“If needed, I’ll kill people for you,” Lyn adds with a grin.
“Do you know how?” Wen asks.
Lyn nods. “Dad taught me how to kill. I’ve never had to use it, but I’d love to, especially if Matleon says something to you. That’d be the perfect excuse to spill his brains out.” A small grin tugs at the corner of her mouth.
Everyone laughs.
“Why so much love for Leo?” Autumn asks.
“Well, he deserves this kind of love,” Lyn says, rolling her eyes.
He broke her heart, and now, ask me how possessive he is about her. He almost killed me. I tell them, recounting yesterday’s story.
“Why are these boys so stupid?” Wen snorts. “I just wish I’d meet someone with his brain in his head.”
“That would be boring, Wen. Why don’t you wish for a psychopath? It’ll be easier to fulfill,” Autumn says.
We laugh.
“How about you tell us about your stay with Zender Mikhailov instead?” Wen teases.
She scoffs. “I have nothing to tell about that playboy.”
Lyn chimes in, laughing. “I always told everyone that Kaz is far better than Zender when it comes to girls, but no one ever believed me.”
“Really, Kaz is god-tier compared to Zender,” Autumn agrees with a firm nod.
“Mom and Dad think Zender is like Uncle Ruslan, and I don’t think anything could shake that belief.
He’s a master manipulator, perfect at wearing an innocent face.
Don’t even get me started on his fake serious nodding, he never actually takes anything seriously. ”
“Geez, how do you even manage living in his house with that much annoyance?” Lyn asks.
“Ask my parents. They think it’s safe that way,” she groans.
We chuckle.