Chapter 110 Still Not Here
"Dear child, how delightful it is to see you," the elderly woman expressed warmly, her hand gently caressing her granddaughter's head with a tender touch.
"Yet, I daresay, you cannot match my level of excitement, Grandma."
The corners of Scarlett's mouth twitched upwards, a chuckle escaping her lips as she observed her granddaughter. "Oh, my dear Ava, you are such a child at heart, always eager to challenge me."
"I relish the challenge, Grandma," Ava retorted, her tone laced with playful mischief.
Scarlett exhaled a sigh, a blend of amusement and affection. "My dear, your competitive spirit should be directed towards your husband. You two should be vying to see who loves the other more."
At the mention of love, Ava's smile froze, a sharp pang of pain piercing her heart. The irony of discussing love, particularly in relation to her and Alexander, was not lost on her. Alexander's heart belonged to Isabella. The bitterness that welled up within Ava was a burden she chose to bear alone, a secret she could not share with her grandmother.
Unaware of Ava's internal turmoil, Scarlett continued, "Ava, my dear, always remember that I am on your side. Never be too generous with your affection towards a man. They tend to take such things for granted. Keep Alexander on his toes, make sure he loves you more. Always love him a little less than he loves you."
Despite the bitterness gnawing at her heart, Ava found herself laughing at her grandmother's candid advice. Scarlett was indeed a master strategist.
Breaking away from their embrace, Ava replied, "I understand, Grandma. But remember, Alexander is your grandson too. If he were to hear you speaking like this, he might be hurt."
"Let him be," Scarlett retorted, a hint of defiance in her voice. "What's wrong with a boy feeling a bit down? It's not always the girls who should bear the brunt of pain." Scarlett's affection for her granddaughter-in-law Ava was profound.
In Scarlett's eyes, Ava could do no wrong. She was the epitome of perfection, while others seemed to falter in comparison.
"Oh, speaking of which," Scarlett interjected, a sudden thought crossing her mind, "where is Alexander? Why have you come alone again?"
This was not the first time. The last visit had been the same; Ava had arrived, but Alexander had been conspicuously absent, despite their prolonged wait.
"Alexander is preoccupied with work," Ava explained.
"Work again? How can there be so much to do? I'll give him a call," Scarlett declared, her hand reaching for the nearby phone.
"Grandma, he truly is swamped with work. Please, trust me on this."
"Of course, I trust you, Ava," Scarlett replied gently. "I just want to give him a piece of my mind. He always does this, never planning things in advance."
"Grandma, sometimes, things happen unexpectedly, and they are beyond anyone's control. Please, be lenient with him. He could use more encouragement than criticism. Alexander is a good man. Sometimes, you're too hard on him. He's only human, after all, and he needs love."
Scarlett chuckled heartily at Ava's words. "Look at you, always defending your husband. I worry you might love him more than he loves you."
Ava's heart clenched. She did love him, perhaps more than he loved her, but all she could manage to say was, "We're mutually devoted."
The more Ava tried to placate her grandmother, the worse she felt. She harbored a deep-seated fear that the truth would eventually surface, and Scarlett would be devastated.
Would Scarlett start to resent her, to ignore her?
"Of course, Alexander must love our Ava the most," Scarlett stated confidently, convinced that her greatest accomplishment in life was uniting the two.
Ava spent the rest of the day in Scarlett's company, doing her best to distract the old lady as the clock ticked away. When eleven o'clock came and Alexander was still absent, Ava tried to appease Scarlett by reading novels with her and engaging in lively discussions about the plot twists.
Scarlett, however, was not easily fooled. She knew Ava was buying time for Alexander.
"Ava, call him. I want to know what he's up to and why he's not here yet."
