Chapter 139: Chapter 139

Like in the past, Shelby could say nothing to her mother. Her words stuck in her throat as her mother continued saying needless things unsuitable for anyone’s ears, especially not from a mother to her daughter, no matter her age.

This was the Clara that Shelby remembered from childhood, the Clara that she did not like.

She started, but then a startled gasp left her as her phone disappeared from her hands. She turned abruptly, only for her head to bump lightly into a broad chest.

He pressed the loudspeaker button, and Clara’s angry comments came out loud and clear in the room.

Shelby was very surprised and wondered what Ian was doing back in her room. She had been so engrossed in the phone conversation and her thoughts that she had not heard him come in. Seeing him, a sense of calmness washed over her just as she felt tears prick at her eyelids. She let herself go and let him pull her to him. He unclenched her hand that she was not even aware that she had clenched tightly.

Ian sat on the bed, and again, pulled her to sit by him again, and then turned to kiss one eyelid as if she were a fragile porcelain.

"Why should my wife care about your husband?" His cold voice asked gently. He sounded very gentle, but it was also almost like a ticking time bomb getting ready to blow up.

Clara abruptly stopped. It took a while for her mind to grasp that Shelby had company. Over the years, whatever Clara did that would be viewed as negative had always been done in secret. She was more than okay to put her daughter down with her words but that was only when they were alone.

"Why aren’t you saying anything again?" He asked in a rare case of amusement which didn’t sound like one.

Clara asked hesitantly, doubting and in plausible denial that it was her daughter’s husband.

"If you have any sentiments or grievances about my father-in-law’s arrest, why don’t you take it up with me? My wife cannot do anything about this. You are only barking up the wrong tree. Is it because she is malleable?"

His words sounded daunting and annoying, especially as he kept using their relations to him and not their names. He was mocking them. It was like, ’Yes, I know his relation to me but what can you do about that?’

Ian rubbed his hand through Shelby’s short hair gently and then added.

"You need to understand that your husband is never coming out of there, dear mother-in-law."

That unexpected shush gesture shut Clara up almost immediately.

"You only have one option now and should be wise enough to deduce that yourself. Think long and hard about what will happen now that he can no longer support you."

"Dear mother-in-law, this is the T-Vino Island; I have never heard of anyone who has escaped the law on a drug charge, and your husband will not be the first one...."

"Bu- but why would you not help him? Aren’t we family now?"

Ian remained quiet for a while, raising Clara’s hopes, only to add, "My wife is my only family, and anyone who maltreats her will have me to answer to."

Never once did Ian raise his voice, but his words were clear.

"I look forward to meeting you for the first time, Mother-in-law."

Ian hung up the call.

He hugged Shelby close and kissed her temple. Never once did he even ask her anything and for Shelby, that was a lot. She appreciated the gesture. With Ian, she did not have to do or say anything. He had ’talked’ to her with his actions only. With someone or something almost always watching her, she did not even wonder how he had come there and how he had gone straight for the phone.

"Mmmmmm.... Who is it so early in the morning?" Ava mumbled and reached out her hand, tapping the comfy bed for her phone. She finally managed to pick it up on the last ring.

She let out a giant yawn and sat up, holding the large duvet around herself.

"Hello?" She frowned when no one replied.

’I swear! I will kick the arse of whoever woke me up this early if it’s for no reason!’

Her sour mood from the previous night rushed back to her in waves as the sleep left her eyes.

Ava had every reason to be happy because a dream job had landed in her lap without any effort from her at all. In fact, two jobs from the most renowned family in the whole of T-Vino Island, but Josh had to ruin everything!

She had called him the night before after Rocky had left. The phone had rung and rung to no avail. In fact Ava broke her way of doing things by calling him three successive times. In the past, she would have felt that she was obsessing over him.

Her usual saying was, ’You only call twice in a row if there is an emergency!’ But she broke her own rule. All her friends knew this about her. However, something about the way Rocky had spoken before he had left, made her feel that she had to get in touch with Josh.

The end result? She had bitten more than she could chew. One of his friends answered the call and told her that Josh was too busy and would call her later. This started to raise pseudo alarm bells in her mind. The simple reason was that Josh was one who never parted with his phone.

He never left it for one second and even visited the bathroom with it, so for another person to pick up his call, told Ava more than she could handle. She was level-headed, but then many scenarios started warping itself in her head. Ava had stayed up as a result, waiting for the supposed call that had never come. Even at this time, she never relented and there was no ounce of regret for not listening to that audio file.

The good thing was that the head chef had given her a few days to settle in before she began active work. Ava had also made a bunch of delicacies the day before, so they were somewhat covered in terms her new duties.

She slapped her own forehead and then read the caller ID.

"Rocky? What is it! This had better be good or els-"

Ava was unsure whether it was his voice or the way he nearly stuttered and choked over her name that gave her a pause. The Rocky that she knew was one who always acted way older than his age so to hear him so broken and uncertain made her uncomfortable.

Unknowingly, her tone softened.

"Is everything alright, Rocky? What happened?"

Ava knew how to handle him very well and remained quiet. She became the listening ear that Rocky so needed at that time. She was his outlet.

Just listening to her on the phone, with her unique voice that was able to calm him down in everything. Rocky knew that he had made the right decision calling her. Rocky had thought that she would never pick up the call considering where they had left off the night before, however, he was very happy and fluttered that she had done that.

"This is not about me pursuing you. I ju- please?"

"I have things to do here, Rocky. Can you at least tell me what this is about or even maybe come over here instead?"

There was a moment of silence within which Ava debated with herself. One, Rocky was the last person she wanted to see that morning. This was because, he was determined in his emotions and pursuance of her. For some reason, Ava also did not trust herself around him. Try as she did, Josh’s indifference and Rocky’s love declaration had caused some chaos in her that she was having trouble resolving.

She needed time away from Rocky and time with Josh to sort herself out but also, Ava knew that any issue that had to do with Clara Wendover was an emergency.

The fact that Rocky had called her that early meant that there was serious trouble that he could not talk to his sister about.

Against her better judgement, she found herself agreeing to it.

"Meet me at my apartment in a couple of hours."

Rocky smiled. His first one since that morning. However, two hours seemed a bit of too much time for him. Despite this, he knew when to push and when he had to let go.

By some unspoken agreement, Ava already knew that she could not talk to Shelby about it. Rocky also knew this and did not bother to mention it.

He hung up the phone, and the elation drained off his face as his mother’s words rushed back to him.

About an hour and a little bit later, Ava arrived at her apartment and alighted from the taxi she had used. Usually, she wouldn’t have used a taxi as it was expensive, but she ended up using it anyway.

She stepped out of the taxi and hurried up the stairs, whipping out her keys. However, Ava was so engrossed in this that she did not notice the presence of two people following her into the building until it was too late.

They pushed her into her room when she immediately unlocked it and closed it behind them.

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