Chapter 278: Chapter 278

Ava lowered her gaze as soon as Rocky entered a few minutes earlier. She had tried her best not to be in the same space as him for the past few days, especially when all of them visited Shelby without fail each day.

Her main worry was trying to keep her thoughts to herself. After being introduced to Ian’s peculiar world, she was trying her damn well to keep her thoughts out of her mind! That was a near-impossible task as she had learned to keep that space to herself from childhood.

The thought that someone could be privy to those was just unimaginable, but it was happening right in front of her. This was no movie scene but the reality that she was living.

For some reason, Ava also knew that she was very lucky to have been kept alive with her memories intact. Ian’s world was as dangerous as fascinating, and after she had come to be in the known from Shelby’s accident night, nothing had been kept from her anymore.

She saw the two assistants disappear and re-appear at will, even in front of the kids, as if it were a daily occurrence. That in itself told her that either the two kids and Suzie knew or they were not ordinary human beings as well but she tried to keep these out of her thoughts.

She knew that her fate was kindof linked to Shelby and prayed for her to wake up. However, after Shelby, thankfully, they had to take care of the Avril person—the one other person who annoyed Ava to a serious nonsense degree.

As Ava tried to keep her thoughts blank, a single voice that she was so familiar with called out, ’Get me a glass of water!’

Ava turned to look at Ian directly to the left. She was surprised at that request because it looked to have been directed at someone else. Also, it was at the same time that Suzie jumped up in fright. Ava was unsure what was going on, and Ian’s gaze was not on her, so she went back to her stance until Ian repeated, ’What are you still doing? Where is the glass of water?!!

That was when she pieced everything together. He had been talking to Suzie but had startled her instead. Ava looked all around and noticed that after Suzie’s slight startlement, all eyes were on Avril.

Ava walked to one corner and poured a glass of water into it. She approached Ian, handed it to him, and then returned to her little spot, right beside the bed.

No one noticed any peculiarity, as Ian had not talked out loud, but Suzie and Rocky stared curiously at Ava.

From then on, Ava forced her mind onto Avril’s words, and she felt her anger rise with each word that fell out of the shameless woman’s mouth.

Shelby, on the other hand, looked on calmly as Avril frolicked on her knees, trying to gain her ’forgiveness’. The thing was that Avril’s every thought was like an open book to both her and Ian, so it was actually funny for her to look on.

’I need to smack those lies off her lips!’ Shelby thought as her gaze hardened with each word falling out from Avril.

At the same time, Ava looked over at Shelby in surprise... as did Suzie. The two had heard Shelby loud and clear but they had not seen her lips move.

’Shelby can do that too?’ Ava did not think again for a second; she whispered, "Let me!"

She moved around the bed, heading towards Avril at the same time. Suzie, who was closest, only took a few seconds to assimilate Shelby’s wish. Being startled by the fact that Ian had commanded her in her mind had been a good precedent because Suzie did not jump in astonishment. She was already as angry at the blatant lies from Avril, whom she had never liked much anyway.

’As you wish, Miss!’ Suzie thought and took two steps towards Avril. She raised her hand high and slapped Avril’s left cheek with all her might!

Ava had also arrived from Avril back then and, without thinking, slapped Avril’s right cheek from her back. Both slaps landed at the same time, plunging the room into shock!

The slaps stunned Avril whose ears started ringing, temporarily blocking all sounds. She could not even make a shriek. Ava and Suzie had not held back one bit.

Shelby’s eyes widened slightly but not too much for those afar to see. Only the two kids and Ian, who were on the bed, saw that.

For the rest, Shelby appeared calm and calculating. Shelby had indeed wanted to slap the words off from Avril, but she had no idea how that had happened!

"Thank you," she said towards the two young women who had taken a few steps back from Avril.

Avril held both cheeks as blood trickled from both corners of her mouth. Her tongue sought out one lose teeth hanging limply by its root as well. She wanted to scream, but she could not because, right at that moment, a large screen lit up, making her shuffle her knees back.

This was the very footage that she had thought that she had deleted. Avril blanched. She was so shocked that she did not notice a peculiarity with the video: Brianna was not in it!

"H-ow?" Her voice choked. Her grievances from the treatment meted to her got stuck.

Shelby turned to look straight at her, and Avril found herself stuck! She could not avert her gaze. At that moment, Avril was probably the first person who thought Shelby looked deadly after staring straight into those startling blue eyes. It was like she was looking into the eyes or a very dangerous animal! Avril’s heart pounded.

’This was not the vulnerable and naïve ’sister’ anymore. She-’

Avril was still tranced.

Just then, a knock sounded, and the door opened.

Detective Leon and his partner took in the scene but did not make any remarks.

"We heard that Mrs Thornston is awake, and we wish madam a speedy recovery," Leon said in the direction of the bed, keeping his gaze down. His partner also bowed and kept his head down. This man had been in the police station when Shelby had visited some time back and he knew from experience that it was unwise to look Mrs Shelby Thornston right in her eyes.

"If it’s okay, we would like to ask madam, a few question-"

"No need for that, detectives, we were able to retrieve some of the data that had been lost from the CCTVs."

Currey stepped in and handed a hard drive to them.

"Our technical staff is working on the rest, but your IT section can also try their hands on it. My brother has been kind enough to get you the culprit involved. We trust that you will be able to get the job done?"

Leon was smart enough to get the hint as he had been down that road once before. His partner was not.

"With all due respect. You canno-"

Leon pinched the man hard enough to stop him and gestured to the playing video.

"We have enough to work! Let’s leave the family alone."

"Evans!!!!" Leon snapped and then immediately apologized to the Thornstons instead.

The other man gave up when he took a good look at the woman on his knees. She was staring at Ian’s wife like a fool but visibly shaking as if terrified.

’Do we have a lunatic on our hands?’ he thought as Leon bowed to Alex and Geneva and then cuffed Avril.

"Miss, you are under arrest for causing bodily harm with the intention to ...." Leon narrated her rights to her, but he also recognized Avril as the family’s supposed daughter. Still, he knew that he had been authorized to hold the charges against her, so he did as Evans accepted the hard drive from Currey.

"We will take our leave, then." The detectives dragged Avril between then and out in surprising silence. She was still in her stupor.

"I can’t believe that she had an easy out like that. I am so disappointed and angry with Avril!" Brad fumed, but he had no idea that he had echoed most of the thoughts there.

"Sister-in-law, I am really sorry that you had to go through this at the hands of a family member, but th-"

"Take some rest, my daughter. We will be back to visit." Geneva interrupted Brad as Alex also stood up. Geneva went over and dropped a kiss on Shelby’s head before she walked out with a sad and almost angry-looking Alex.

Brad did not take offence, for he knew his mother. Sighing he also turned to follow his parents, but Ian stopped him.

"Wait a moment, Brad..."

Leon and Evans placed Avril in the back of their car and then started moving amid a lot of curious gazes.

"Why did you stop me back there, Leon?" Evans asked as their car sped up along the highway.

"You have no idea how they work. They have already given us solid evidence against one of their own, but we have nothing on the initial investigation we were doing on who might have drugged Mrs Thornston. Do you have the platform to make demands?"

"Evans! Please! Let’s just get this done! Do the investi-"

Leon never finished his words as Evans screamed, "WATCH OUT!"

Leon swerved instinctively, his heart lurching, and the car spun out of control.

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