ALL-IN-ONE MAN

“Bring Ava out now or you watch me demolish this building right before your eyes,” Zac’s tone was icy as the northwest wind in the winter and both Emma and Dylan felt like they had fallen into an ice cave, chilling from the tip of their heads to the tips of their toes.


Zac had no intention of setting his foot into their house but it seemed to him that Ava’s parents do like it the hard way and of course, they’ll be having it.


“If I don’t see my Ava in 5, then I’m tearing this house apart brick by brick to bring her out myself,” he never shouted but he didn’t have to, his words were just as impactful.


Dylan was now shivering uncontrollably and tugged at Emma’s dress from behind, “Give me the keys now,” he ordered his wife in a low voice, understanding that it wasn’t a good idea to provoke this man as he was having the strong aura which must not be owned by an ordinary man.


However, Emma didn’t budge as she continued to look into Zac’s eyes heatedly.


“1” Zac begins, putting a pace into the house and ruining Emma with a look.


Dylan cowered, his features flashing with sheer horror and he tugged his wife’s shirt harder this time as he said,


“Come to your senses now, Emma. We have absolutely nowhere to go if he demolishes our house. So give me the keys now and let me go and free Ava,” he finished his words in a breath, his chest heaving up and down as he kept stealing glances at the icy man.


“2,” Zac advanced another step toward Emma, his eyes becoming darker.


“Emma,” Dylan scream-whispered, shaking his wife thoroughly as if bringing her back to reality since it seemed she had lost her mind for wanting to face Zac’s wrath.


Emma’s lips thinned into a tight frown and her eyes had gone so red, filled with chilling anger. She was not willing to accept defeat.


 Zac raised his hand and put out three of his fingers one after the other in a domineering manner, “3,”


All of a sudden, Emma jerked away from her husband's grasp and charged toward Zac,


“You can’t come in here and threaten me and my husband simply because you’re some kind of a billionaire or popular.


I do not care about it one bit and if you don’t want me to report you to the police, you’d better get out of my house right now,” she blustered, scowling harder at Zac.


“4,” that was all she got from Zac in response and the weight he gave to the four letters made Emma’s heart kick like a scared rabbit that she audibly swallowed.


“No, no, no, Mr. Zac, please don’t count 5. I’ll produce Ava immediately,” Dylan let out with bated breath and he hadn’t finished talking before he pushed his wife roughly to the floor and the keys clattered out from God knows where in her body.


Anger rushed up in Emma’s heart as he glared up at her shivering husband from where she sat on the floor, “Dylan!”


But Dylan was too busy to pay attention to her as he had grabbed the keys and rushed towards the staircase as if his ass were on fire.


“Crazy woman intended to put me into trouble. God forbid,” he muttered to himself as he took the stairs in twos, sweats dripping from his forehead.


Ava was laying on the bed with her both arms sprawled while her gazing was staying on the white ceiling without blinking.


Her eyes had become red and swollen from too much tears but she had stopped crying long ago after reckoning that crying wouldn’t solve her problems.


So now, she was staring on and thinking of a way to get herself out of the mess she had found herself.


It would have been so great if her phone was with her – in fact, she wouldn’t have to be bothered if her cell phone was with her because only a call would positively put an end to all this mess in a jiffy.



And who would she call? Her man, no doubt.


 Thinking of Zac brought fresh tears to her eyes again and she welcomed them, her lower lip quavering.


Just then, the sound of the door unbolting with the use of a key from outside drifted over to her and she instantly hauled herself out of the bed and jumped to her feet.


The door flew open and the fuming expression she had worn, thinking it was her mother opening the door, left her face and was replaced by a surprise one as she stared at her father's agitated face.


“Please come out now, Ava. Zac is here and he said he’s going to ruin my only house if we refuse to bring you out and I’m afraid that he’ll do just exactly like he have said, so please hurry down before he makes me and my family homeless,”


 Dylan’s voice took on a pleading tone as he wiped the balls of sweats that were surrounding his forehead.



“Zac is here?” Ava couldn’t believe her ears, her eyes widening in disbelief.


Dylan nodded his head curtly, answering her and like that, Ava’s lips stretched to a wide grin as she dashed out of the room, and ran in the hallway but abruptly stopped to look down from up and there he was correctly, standing there in his natural arctic coldness aura he usually emanates.


“Jamal!” Ava shrieked from upstairs, getting his attention at once as he swiftly looked up in the direction and saw that she was already rushing down the stairs.


He winced, afraid that Ava might probably trip on her feet with the way she was running and he wouldn’t love that. He was right here and not going anywhere.


Before he could even get some words out of his mouth to caution Ava to stop running, she’d gotten so close to him and directly jumped on him, enveloping her arms around his neck.


For the first time in hours, Zac felt like the blockage in his lungs was removed and he could breathe normally again.


Meanwhile, Ava only kept whimpering like a wounded thing, lowering to the floor and wrapping her hands around his waist tightly as if she tried to release her hands for a moment then Zac would run away.


In his arms, she felt safe and secure – like nothing could ever touch her.


“I’m right here, baby, I’m right here,” Zac whispered on exhale, pulling out bit by bit to look down at his treasure.


He pressed a hand to Ava’s cheek, his eyes searching every single feature on her face as if searching for a visible wound.


“Are you okay?” he asked in the normal voice whenever Ava is involved.


Ava nodded her head, “You are here now, so I’m fine, but I want you to take me away from this place, Zac,” she choked on her words, shaking her head pathetically.


Meanwhile, outside the house, Hazel and Nick had come down from the car and dashed into the front villa and were immediately stunned to see the tall man wrapped in suit backing outside since the door was left wide open.


No one needed to tell them who the man was, especially with the poise that had met him, his arms wrapping around the petite Ava.


Hazel and Nick had rushed here immediately the address was sent to Zac and according to the miles and calculations, they were supposed to reach here ten to fifteen minutes before Zac but he’d gotten here before them.


The both of them exchanged amused glances before they started moving into the house to join the rest.


“Of course, you’re leaving here with me babe and you won’t return here ever again,” Zac said in a finality tone as he cleaned off the moisturefrom Ava’s face.


By that time, Emma wanted to say something to what he’d just said but Dylan had hauled her back and shushed her with a very cold warning glare.


And together with the other two people that just joined them, they watched as Zac lifted Ava’s chin to his face and then he dipped his head forward and took her lips in a kiss.


He kissed her with such gentleness that new tears gathered in her eyes while a warm feeling seized her heart.


Emma was looking as shocked as she felt with her jaw falling apart.


She thought in her heart that how can someone as small as Ava tame someone as prosperous and influential as Zachary Gonzalez?


Dylan had no idea of the feeling coursing through him as he watched Zac dwelling and delving into his daughter’s mouth.


Someone like Zac would never take the initiative to do something like this in their presence if he just wanted to toy with Ava’s feelings. But here he was, not giving a damn about their presence as his lips moved on Ava’s desperately.


This is true love indeed. He concluded in his heart.
Hazel and Nick on the other hand had their best smiles on their faces especially Hazel. She was smiling so big at the same time tears were rolling down her face.


This is exactly every girl’s dream… wishing for a man that would be hopelessly in love with her and wouldn’t mind to show that to the world.


 Plus, If such a man should be the most talk-about and filthy rich makes a whole lot of sense even more and that’s exactly why she was so happy for Ava.


She’s just so lucky to get an all-in-one man like Zachary Gonzalez.

__________

“We’re here now, Milady,” Nick’s voice cut through the atmosphere while the car screeched to a halt.


Hazel smiled up at him, “Thanks for the ride, Nick. I’m grateful,”


Nick bowed his head respectfully, his hand crossing his chest, “I’ll do anything for beautiful ladies,”


Hazel chuckled and unlocked the car door, proceeding to get down.


“If you don’t mind, Hazel, can we share digits?”


Hazel tilted her head around and locked gaze with Nick’s. The corners of her lips rose slightly and revealed her white teeth. She saw the interest in Nick’s eyes; he has made it so obvious since the moment they had met at Ava’s hostel earlier on.


However, she’s taken now. Even with how good looking and cute Nick looks, she would always choose Daniel over and over again because she doesn’t think there could be another greater and perseverance man as Daniel.


“Sure, Nick, we can share contacts,” Hazel told him, settling back in the passenger’s seat beside Nick. “But I’d love you to note that I’m now in a relationship and I love my boyfriend,”


Nick wasn’t sure whether it was because the way Hazel enunciated those words naturally without considering how it might affect him or because the fact that she has a boyfriend hurts his heart.


He felt his heart break for the first time in years and he couldn’t hide his disappointment.


A comfortable silence that seemed to stretch on forever ensued between them.


But in the end, Hazel collected the phone from him and punched in her number, “I’m in a relationship doesn’t stop us from being friends, Nick,” she said warmly, handing the phone back to him.


Nick then forced a small smile onto his face and nodded softly, “Thank you,” he murmured.


“Take care,” Hazel waved at him and got down from the car.


“And where is Her Majesty coming from without her cell phone?”


This sudden mannish voice that filled the air nearly sent Hazel to the ground and the second she realized that it was just Daniel; she held her chest and breathed out in relief.


“You startled me,” she frowned at him coldly, watching him edged in her direction from her right-hand side where his car was parked.


However, it didn’t take long before she deciphered the heavy frown coating his face lines.


“What’s wrong, Daniel?” asked Hazel, looking a bit worried as she’d never seen such an expression on his face before.


Daniel switched his gaze to Nick’s car at the same time the car started driving out of the space.


“Who was that, Hazel?”