Becoming Strong

The next day.

Freya and Caleb gazed at Ava's graceful and slim figure as she walked with quick steps in their direction with an attractive smile glistening on her small oval face.

“It's good to know that the princess is okay now,” said Freya with a beam.

Ava sat down on the last seat opposite Freya, her eyes were as bright as a crescent moon, she slightly raised the corner of her lips and revealed her white teeth. She looked beautiful and cute.

“Thank you guys,”

Caleb stared at her and asked, “Don't you think we should be the one thanking you, Ava?”
Ava looked over at his face and laughed sheepishly, “What do you mean, Caleb?”

“Haven't you heard about the gunshot that occurred in the place last night?” Freya was shocked to realize that Ava wasn't aware of it, whereas the news had gone wide across the media.

“Gunshot?” she repeated, looking completely awed by what she just heard.

“Yes, Ava. It was reported that some gunmen had come to attack a gangster in the lounge, but turned out that the person escape”

After hearing Caleb's words, Ava's expression froze. She stared and thought inside her heart, did Zac know about this beforehand, for him to have called and asked her to leave immediately?
Her eyes caught by her cell on the table, and she suddenly had an impulse to reach out to it to call and ask him things. However, she soon dispelled the thought before it would continue to dwell on her.

Who was she to call and question Zachary Gonzalez? Although, she had gone out with him to a public party, wore his shirt, slept in his arms, and even kissed her. However, all these things put together hadn't propelled her to speak with Zac anyhow.

Buzz! Buzz!

The ringing tone of her cell wiped her out of her thinking, looking down at the caller ID, her face suddenly tensed up, like a bowstring being pulled behind. She answered the call and managed to squeeze out a smile, pretending to be calm.

“Hello, mom,”

“Come back home immediately after you're done with today's lecture,” Emma's cold voice was transmitted to Ava's ear and the call ended immediately.

Ava felt a stab in her heart and smiled bitterly. Seeing Emma's call all of a sudden after some weeks she had left the house, she was not naive enough to think that Emma had called to start telling her how much she was missing her. But in her deepest heart, she had hope that should just occur, at least once.

In Taylor's villa.

The air in the room felt quiet and empty, just like the air before a violent storm.

Emma was sitting on a single couch with a cold face all the time while she continued to tap the armrest with her fingers, forming a rhythm someone could dance to.

Ava only stood implanted in a spot at the center of the room. Her head was lowered with her hands crossed backward as if a criminal pleading guilty in the courtroom. She couldn't understand Emma's silence this time, since she had entered the house for the past fifteen minutes, Emma hadn't said a word to her and never replied to her greetings either.

“So, tell me, Ava”

Ava secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but didn't lift her head to look at Emma. She thought in her mind that, thank goodness, she finally gave up on the unspoken battle.

“Have you really planned to humiliate the little dignity left in our family?”

After hearing this, Ava could not continue to put her head down as she slowly raised her eyes to look at her mother's angry face.

With her brows furrowed deeply, “I don't understand, mom,”

Anger rushed up in Emma's heart, she rushed up to Ava, raised her hand, and gave her a hard slap.

“Does that help you understand what I'm saying?” she roared hysterically, with a gleam flashing across her sharp eyes.

Stunned, Ava subconsciously touched her face. The area where she was slapped was stinging and there was a buzzing in her ears. The corners of her mouth were slightly pursued, and her eyesight was sharp as she stared at Emma in terror and shock.

“Why aren't you ashamed of yourself, Ava? Why do you keep selling your body to men because of money? Why aren't you basking in your contentment? Huh!”

Her words became more presumptuous as she glared coldly at Ava, whose eyes had gradually filled with tears upon hearing these awful words from her mother.

She remained quiet as a mouse, with her lips quivering terribly, and the tears spilled from her eyes like pearls that had fallen off a string.

Without being told, Ava knew where this had come from, but to think that Emma never gave her a chance to protest before her assumptions really hurt Ava's heart a lot. It felt like heavy rocks weighed on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Slowly, she raised her hand to her face and wiped off the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, glaring right back at Emma. And without pronouncing any word, she suddenly turned around strongly, causing her lengthy hair to beat Emma's face, and then trotted out of the place.

After being stunned for a few seconds, “Ava!” Emma shrieked after Ava, but her back view was already disappearing out of the door. She stamped on her feet and her hands hanging on her sides clenched into fists as she thought inside her heart, what had suddenly evolved her to pull such a stunt in front of her. Seething inwardly, she would regret this.

Ava came into the house at the same time Charlotte reached the living room, all dressed up in a strapless and wasp-waisted black gown. Her red hair was cut into a fringe, accentuating her fair, cute face. She was a sight to behold.

Seeing Ava standing in the doorway, her red-painted lips curled up in a devil smile as she ambled closer to her.

“How was the discussion with, mom?” she asked sarcastically, her voice full of mockery. She toyed with the device in her hands and continued,

“Knowing that mom's trademark is a hard slap, I'm sure you have received one or two a while ago, isn't it, Ava?” she laughed manically, raising her head to the ceiling.

Suddenly, her neck was choked, making her wild laughter immediately get stuck in her throat. It was at this moment she noticed the hint of brutality that was gleaming across Ava's eyes.

“You bastard! What are you doing?” she cursed under her breath, her voice trembled without notice. However, Ava exerted some force on her hand to strangle her neck. The indiscernible cruel look on her face could make even a powerful man's knee grow weak.

Charlotte fought to free herself from Ava's grasp, her tone was now coming out in a painful sob.

If a person became crazy, her energy would become extraordinarily large. Charlotte's effort to break free was nothing compared to Ava's strength.

Soon, Ava let go of Charlotte, and she stepped backward continuously, holding her neck and coughing out.

Ava walked up to her, and she couldn't help but tremble at every footstep that she took towards her, she looked like a demon walking against the light, causing Charlotte to tremble with fear and chill.

“Get away from me now, Ava!” she retreated to the wall, only stopping when there was no place left behind her.

“The next time you repeat this foolish feat of yours, Charlotte. Believe me. I won't spare you,” her voice was low and deep, as if each syllable were coming from deep in her chest.

As soon as Ava was out of sight, Charlotte collapsed in shock to the floor, with her chest heaving up and down and still gazing in the direction of Ava.

“Oh my goodness, what was that?” her voice was as quiet as a fly as she assembled herself and jumped to her feet.

She sprinted to the door, opened it, and paced out but stopped almost immediately and peered her head inside, “Don't think you've won this, Ava. I'll be back for you,” she shouted and waited for Ava's reaction.

However, hearing the sound of Ava's door opening from inside, she quickly shut the entrance door and scurried off in fear.

***

Hazel rushed out of her apartment, wearing a beige shirt and a jean trouser. Her beautiful face which used to be gentle and warm was now looking troubled.

Her curly golden locks were down to her shoulder, which kept bouncing at her brisk movement out of the house.

Bouncing from foot to foot, waiting impatiently for a cab. Hazel couldn't help but clutched her soggy hands tightly, uneasily, she had never been this helpless in her entire life.

Her poor brother had just called her that he was feeling unwell and wouldn't like to go to the hospital, but wished to see her instead.

“Where are the freaking cabs?!” she roared hysterically under her breath.

Soon, a silk and tiny car rolled to a stop in front of her. The driver got down and approached Hazel with a coquettish smile on his face.

He loved the way the top two buttons of Hazel's shirt were popped out, leaving out a small hint of cleavage that seems to tease a more alluring view than the one he was looking at.

Recognizing this man, Hazel frowned at him coldly, “Are you stalking me now?” she asked gloomily, looking quite sharp.

The man inched closer, a flirtatious grin playing around his lips.

“It's worth it, baby. Now come with me, you can't find a cab in this residence and I believe you know that more than I do” he spoke carefully and patiently.

Hazel could only stare at his handsome face with critique, the sun was behind him, so the outline of his face shone brightly.