Chapter 66: Chapter 66

I'm sorry for the long wait.

WRITER'S POV

All heads turned towards Avatia, with either wide eyes or opened mouths.

"Why is no one talking? Who is the man?" Avatia inquired again. But was greeted with silence again. "Mom?"

Grace sobbed quietly. "It's no one, honey."

Hearing that answer, Draya's head snapped towards Grace. Why was the elderly woman hell-bent on keeping the truth from her daughter. Wouldn't it be better if Avatia just knew the truth?

Well, Avatia could tell it was a lie. "It can't be no one. I need to know who this man is." She turned to Draya. "You said you're my best friend and would always tell me the truth, right?"

Draya looked away in guilt, her eyes tearing up. She nodded.

"Go on, tell me. Who is Dreidan whatsoever and why does he want to take me away?" Avatia pushed again, this time, staring intently at Draya. "Why don't you all just tell me already? Don't you see? I'm tired of living like this. I'm tired of forcing my brain to remember certain things. I'm tired of the nightmares. I'm tired of seeing you all as strangers. I'm tired of seeing myself as a stranger. I'm tired of trying to figure out this mess that is my life. I'm tired. So if any of you here really do care for me as you all say, then just tell me everything I need to know. Don't you see, I need closure..." She ended, sobbing hysterically at this point. "I'm done already. So just tell me who the fuck he is and stops keeping secrets from me again."

Both Draya and Grace gasped. Not because of all the things Avatia said, but because it was the first time she'd used a foul word. She hated cussing with a passion. The situation must be eating her up if she used the 'F word.

"Dresden is the man whom you once loved." Draya blurted out unintentionally and tried to avoid the glare Grace sent her way. "I'm sorry Avatia. I'm sorry you had to go through so much because of love."

That was the last thing Avatia had expected to hear. "The man whom I once loved?"

Draya nodded and wiped a tear that had rolled down her eyes. She turned to Grace. "I'm sorry aunt Grace. I know it's not my position to tell Avatia this but believe me, she needs to learn the truth if you want her to get better. I want my friend to get better and if telling her the whole truth is going to help her, then I'm sorry again, I'll have to go against your order and tell her every..."

"Get out," Grace said through gritted teeth. "Get out of my house." She said as she pointed at the door. The older woman was just being selfish and overly protective.

She didn't care about hiding the truth from her only child. She just wanted Avatia all to herself.

Avatia stepped in. "If she leaves, I'm going with her."

Grace's eyes widened. "No baby. Do not go with her. I'm doing this for your good, Ava. That man whom you think is a good man is evil. I didn't want you to find out about that guy because everything about him is trouble. Don't you know, I was kidnapped and locked up because of him. You were kidnapped as well...and as horrific as this sounds, you were locked up in a freezer."

Avatia gasped. She couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

"My dear I just want to protect you. You're my only child and the only one who reminds me about Ishmael, your father. Acacia honey you've got to believe me."

Avatia's head was starting to spin from all this information. She did not understand. Were they all saying the truth? Could she have been foolish to love a man who kidnapped her mother, as well as kidnapped her too and locked her up in a freezer? She placed her hands on her temple.

Doctor Nathan stepped in. "Y'all have to stop talking. You're making her feel dizzy. Come sit down my dear." He said gently as he pulled her to the sofa.

Grace came closer to her daughter. "He's a dangerous and cold man Ava."

"No, he's not. He's dangerous quite alright but aunt Grace that guy loves Ava so much. I've seen it. I know it." Draya stepped in again. She was shocked as to why she defended Dreidan Vaughn. Maybe it was because she knew how much her friend loved him and she witnessed the true love when he begged her to see Avatia for just a few minutes at the hospital. She did not know why she defended him. But she sure knew she did the right thing.

Grace was losing her temper. She could not understand why Draya kept running her mouth. Avatia on the other hand was trying to process all the information even with the pounding headache she was spotting.

"I want to meet this guy." She finally said. She looked at her mother in the eye. "Please let me go. Let me meet this man. We need to talk."

Grace was beyond shocked that even after bad-mouthing Dreidan to her daughter, the young woman still chooses to meet him. "No way. You don't know that guy."

Avatia stared at her intently. "You're right. I do not know the guy. But one thing you also fail to understand is that at this point, I do not know you too." She turned to Draya. "Take me to this Dreidan Vaughn. We need to talk."

****

DRESDEN'S POV

I paced around the hotel room with my phone close to my ear. I ran my fingers through my hair as I fought the urge to roll my eyes at my father who was speaking on the other end.

"I don't understand why Congress Man Viagra is complaining about the guns you sold to him, Mochino. I've noticed you're slacking a lot these days. Even the brothel is still under construction. It was supposed to be done by now. And I heard the Mexican mafia leader is plotting to attack us. Do you even care? Don't make me regret the decision of letting you stay in America. That is not your place. I will send you back to Italia."

"Papà ci sto lavorando." (Papa I am working on it.)

"Beh non mi interessa. Ho bisogno di vedere i risultati. Risultati positivi." (Well I do not care. I need results. Positive results.)

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair for the nth time. I just wanted the conversation to end already. "Sì papà. Sì." (Yes papa. Yes.) And with that, I hung up, throwing my phone on the bed.

I turned to Roberto who was earlier giving me reports on the spies we planted in the Mexican and French mafias. "You know what, Roberto?"

He shook his head. "Non." (No)

"Instead of planting spies in the Mexican mafia, look for a money-minded fool who is close to Don Juan and pay him some filthy amount of money to give you information. When he caves in, you know where to throw his body. Right?"

An evil gleam flashed through his eyes. "Of course boss. That crossed my mind. As for monsieur Gerardo, I already know what to do. Heard he's got a slutty daughter. I spoke to lord Alessandro about her. He said he's got it."

I rolled my eyes. Typical Alessandro. "Of course, he's got it. Dude's gonna fuck her senseless, she's gonna end up spewing all her father's secrets before she cums."

Roberto chuckled. "We all know that, boss man. Is that all you need?"

"No. I want you to go downtown to the gallery and see if everything's set up. If it isn't, fire the whole team and hire new people. I hate sluggish bastards." I told him staring out of the wall-length windows, with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in another. "You may leave now."

He nodded and left the room. Leaving me to think of how to get Avatia back. Just then, my phone rang. Not again father. What does he want this time?

I thought of ignoring it but thought otherwise. The old man's just gonna keep calling. By the time I reached the bed. The phone stopped ringing. I sighed. Just then, it beeped with the entry of a new message. I picked it up and realized it was Draya. My heart skipped a bit. I opened the message and what I read made my day a whole lot better. It made me smile. The first smile for this month.

No need to come over here again Mr. Vaughn. I'm bringing Avatia back home.

Draya.

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