Chapter 351 Fate Without Destiny
The silence hung heavy in the air for a moment before Ava finally spoke. "I can't promise anything until I've had a word with Ms. Thompson," she said, her voice laced with uncertainty.
Dalton responded in kind, "Ms. Anderson, I find myself in the same predicament. I can't make any assurances either. It appears we both have our work cut out for us. I must take my leave now, so I'll end this call. I eagerly await your favorable news."
With that, he terminated the call, leaving Ava alone with her thoughts.
Ava's grip tightened around her phone, her knuckles turning white. Dalton's heartlessness was astounding. How could he treat William, his own flesh and blood, with such callous disregard? And to use Ava as a pawn in his game was beyond reprehensible.
Yet, Ava wasn't surprised. Such people existed in this world; not everyone was worthy of the title 'parent'. A despicable person remained just that, even after becoming a parent. Parenthood didn't automatically bestow greatness or heroism.
Ava's next task was to locate Mia's contact details. After a moment's hesitation, she dialed the number.
It took an agonizingly long time before Mia finally picked up.
"Hello, Mia, it's me," Ava began.
"What do you want?" Mia's voice was icy, her hostility palpable even over the phone.
Ava could sense the frostiness in Mia's tone, hinting at some underlying issue. "I just wanted to thank you for today. My friend is stable for now."
"Okay," Mia responded tersely, "I'm glad he's fine. Anything else? I'm rather occupied."
"Mia, there is something else. I need a favor," Ava ventured.
"What is it?"
"My friend's father wants to meet you. He discovered that you're the president of Fengliqi Bank and is interested in making your acquaintance."
A heavy silence followed Ava's words.
Mia's voice, when it finally came, was as cold as ice. "Is your friend's father the man from today?"
"Yes, he is Dalton, the chairman of Blue Sky Group."
Mia fell silent again, her silence stretching out for what felt like an eternity.
"Well," Mia finally replied, "I've heard of this man, but I have no interest in meeting him."
Ava's worst fears were realized.
"Mia, I understand this is an imposition, but could you meet him just once? It doesn't have to lead to anything; a mere formality."
"No," Mia refused outright, "I don't have the time. I need to focus on my work. Goodbye."
With that, Mia ended the call, leaving Ava in stunned silence.
Ava was taken aback by Mia's unequivocal rejection. She had thought that Mia might at least consider it, given Dalton's influential position as the chairman of Blue Sky Group.
Ava had reasoned that Mia might see the benefit in meeting Dalton. But Mia's decisive refusal left Ava at a loss for what to do next.
As she hung up the phone, Ava remembered that she had been in the middle of a text conversation with Alexander. She hadn't even sent her last edited message.
Just as she was about to hit send, she noticed a new message from Alexander.
Alexander: [I have a meeting now. Goodbye.]
He added a waving emoji.
Unbeknownst to Alexander, his casual goodbye had taken on a new, angry meaning.
Ava deleted the unsent text. There was no point in sending it now that Alexander was in a meeting and their conversation had ended. Ava and Alexander had decided to limit their contact, to avoid dwelling on the past. They couldn't be together anymore, so it was best to move on and not constantly revisit old memories.
