BRILLIANT IDEA

Zachary Gonzalez gently put Ava down on the bed and covered her body with the quilt.





This whole time, he could literally feel the daggers Ava had been shooting at him from her eyes but he'd purposely ignored it and would continue to ignore it as far as Ava was still obedient to him.




“Nick will be here soon with some takeout and medications. Or should we just go to the hospital?” asked Zac. Concern was engraved boldly in his sharp features.




“I’m fine,” Ava replied in a flat tone, tilting her head to one side which gave Zac a whole new view of her bruised neck.




His fists and jaw clenched but he forced himself to calm down and gradually lowered himself onto the bed.




If there was any way he could create Arianna’s body again, Zac would do it a million times and slay her a million times over and over again. That was how enraged he was feeling at that moment. He wanted to kill her again and again with his own hands.




However, his stubborn woman wasn't seeing things the way he saw them at all. Instead, she was giving him a cold shoulder for torturing Arianna to death.




“Or do you want me to make a homemade soup or anything?” Zac inquired softly.





“Tell me honestly, Zac,” Ava suddenly looked at him and demanded, “Did you have to kill her?”




Sighing and rubbing his forehead, “She got what she
deserve, Tinkerbell. How many times do I have to repeat myself? Zac answered back with a question, trying not to growl even though he was at the verge.




“What are you even saying, Zac? How could you end someone’s life like you own it? No matter what she might have done, her life is not in your hands to be taken like that,” Ava cried out hysterically.




Zac stood up from the bed, “I’ll just go and check if Nick is here already,” he said simply and turned around to walk away. He was really not in the mood to argue with this woman.




“Zac, you're not planning to leave me while we’re still talking, right?” Ava uttered in bewilderment and Zac only gifted her one of his handsome smiles and walked to the door.




“Jamal!” Ava yelped but he was already out of the door.




“Ah, I'm done for,” Ava sobbed, throwing her head back.



Downstairs…



Nick put down all the bags he was carrying on the tea table in the living room and walked in the direction Zac had taken just now.




He emerged in the dining room and saw his boss pouring water to drink.




“I’ve gotten everything, boss. Do you need something else?” he asked carefully, his hands entwined at his back.




Zac sighed and kept the glass cup on the table and then looked at Nick.




“Arianna’s body?” he asked while he scooted a chair backward and sat on it.




“Lee has taken care of it, boss,” Nick replied immediately and the atmosphere went quite for a moment before Nick cleared his throat softly.




Zac shifted his attention back to his face and knew he had something to say. “Spit it,” he demanded.




“Boss, don't you think Ava should be trained… at least a bit?” Nick proposed.




The lines between Zac’s brows crinkled at once, “What do you mean?”




Nick gulped, shifted on his feet and began, “In my opinion, boss, Ava should be trained to encounter such a catastrophe anytime. If Lee had not confess very much earlier about Ava’s whereabout, what do you think would have happened to her?”




Zac became silent, only staring at Nick’s face. But he seems to be thinking about Nick’s proposition.




When Nick saw that his boss appears to be mulling over the advice, he took it as a cue to continue talking.




“Walker and his men are still out there, boss. And the more you two get closer, the more Ava’s safety is at risk. However, once Ava could learn one or two fighting strategies, especially how to use a gun, boss, then she will be fine. At least you can be rest assured whenever your girl… I mean, Ava is out there,”



Zac’s lips curled into a sneer as soon as Nick finished talking. His nostrils flared as his sharp jaw ticked.


The vein of his temple popped up as he slowly rose to his feet and started moving toward Nick.


Nick became scared and even though he could resist the impulse to step back, he couldn't stop himself from lowering his head and avoided his boss’s cold glare.


But then, Zac’s next word shocked him to the bones.


“I’m lucky to have you, Nick. Thank you for the brilliant suggestion,”


Nick lifted his head and was damn surprised to see the smile spreading across Zac’s face. His tensed shoulders softened immediately and he also smiled back.


“It’s my pleasure, boss. I can’t bare to lose Ava too,” he expressed but he regretted it immediately after earning a deadly glare from his boss.


“I’m sorry about that, boss,” he quickly apologized, his head bowed.


A musical chuckle reverberated through Zac’s chest and then he swatted his shoulder and walked past him out of the room.

****

In the next week that followed, things changed considerably well for some people while for others, it was just as it always is. Freya and Hazel were not left out but their happiness holds nothing to Ava’s own.


The woman seems to have a bright perpetual smile carved into her face this past week. A complete opposite to the way she’d been during their arguement.


Her man had apologized to her even though he didn’t admit to his mistakes.


“Arianna got what she deserves,” that has been his mantra until Ava let go of the matter completely.


Although Ava wouldn't say she had gotten her mind off the concern, there was nothing she could do about it.


At the same time, Charlotte came out of the hospital, looking unsteady and broken as if she just received some bad news.


And of course, that was exactly what happened. Last week, she noticed some changes in her body system. Such as frequent tiredness, morning sickness, nausea, and vomiting.


She thought it was just a normal thing in the first two days and took some medications but it even worsened and that was why she thought of coming down to the hospital.


However, the result wasn't what she'd expected. It turned out that she was carrying a three-week pregnancy.


She was shocked when the doctor gave her the news and for a long moment, she couldn't utter a word or give any reaction.


The last person she had unprotected sex with was Reid. Yeah, she could clearly recall that. But how was she going to tell him about the pregnancy?


As far as she knows, Ried seemed less interested in her lately. So how is he going to accept the news?


Sighing, she stopped a cab and told the driver her home address. She concluded in her mind that she would have to tell him first before she took any step. He needed to know about it. After all, he was responsible for it.


Almost an hour later, she arrived in her house and she immediately fetched her phone from her handbag and dialed Ried’s number.


At this moment, Reid was discussing with Zac in his sturdy when his phone started ringing in his jean pocket.


He glanced at Zac and he only produced the phone when Zac gave an approval nod.


Upon seeing the called ID, Reid grimaced and cut the call directly.


“Who's that?” Zac asked.


“Charlotte. Ava’s sister,” Reid replied, his tongue peaking out to lick his lips.


Zac’a brows lifted slightly, “You’re still with her?”


Shaking his head, “No, boss. She's calling me for the first time since that night she made the confession,”


“Then why didn't you answer the call?” Zac pressed further.


“We’re in the middle of conversation, boss. I'll just call her back later,” Reid answered cogently and Zac just nodded.


“So as I was saying about the training, I’ll make sure she begin today,” Zac continued, his fingers entwined on the table.


“Do you need me to do it?” Ried asked and the look he received from Zac caused his mouth to clamp on their own accord.


“And what will I be doing while you train my woman?” Zac asked, his nose flaring.


“I didn't really mean that, Zac. I just thought you might not want to do that due to the fact that she's your woman,” Reid clarified, raising his hands in surrender.


Zac understood his words crystal clear. What Reid meant was that, Zac would not make it seem like a real training to Ava because he would only go easy on her.


Reid sighed and leaned his hands on the table, “Have you told her about what Charlotte said?” he asked quietly.


Zac shook his head firmly, “No. And I won't tell her anything. I only did that to prove my assumption right,”


“Moreover, she might not believe my words if I should tell her the truth. So I'll only wait and watch until she realizes it herself, but I'm certain she will find out out soon,” Zac’s lips stretched into a self-confidence smile as he stared into the void.


Reid pressed his lips, trying his best not to giggle or chuckle at that moment. Wait. Since when does the boss say more than three words at a time? The man isn't a talker, or a smiler. Hell, or even a jester.


Right then, he head his cold voice, “What are you smiling about?”


Reid didn't even realize that he was smiling. He looked over at Zac’s face, “You know, I wouldn’t have believed it if I am not seeing it with my own eyes,” he began and it seemed Zac knew where he was going to because he schooled his expression, frowning.


“I remember when I used to beg you to at least get yourself laid once in a while but you would say you're not down for anything that involves the other gender,”


“That’s enough. Now shut up and leave,” Sadly, his voice didn’t come out as stern as he’d wanted it to.


Just then, a tiny familiar voice reaveverated in the lobby and Reid couldn't help the giggle that left his mouth.


“Your woman is here, boss. I should start going,” Ried announced, smiling so hard and getting on his feet.


The way he was smiling was starting to irritate Zac and he was refraining from throwing a punch at his jaw.


The door suddenly flew open when Reid was closer to it, revealing a grinning Ava.


However, Ava couldn't smiling when she came face to face with Reid. But strangely, Reid was doing the smiling instead.


“Hi, Ava,” Reid greeted with a slight wave while he walked past her and left through the door.


Watching him walk away, Ava blinked severally to ensure that she wasn't day dreaming.


“Did he just greet me?” she turned to look at his man and asked, confused.


Zac knew that those two had never gotten along all this time and he clearly knew the fault was from Reid. But it seemed Reid had realized his mistakes and wanted to be at cool with Ava now.


“Don’t you like that?” Zac teased, standing on his feet and walking out of his desk and approaching where Ava stood.


“No, Zac. I don't like it. I've come to terms with us never getting along with each other. So why would he suddenly greet me now? It gives me the chills,” Ava shivered while he expressed and a deep rumble of laughter left Zac’s chest.


“Reid isn't a bad guy, Tinkerbell,” he disclosed, reaching out to hold Ava in his arms.


“But he doesn't like me which is why I’ll never like him too,” Ava swore, melting in her man’s arms.


Smiling, Zac chose not to say anything to that as he kissed the top of her head.


“I want to show you something, Ava. But first, you'll have to promise me that you won't be scared,”