Chapter 21 The Bet Fails

(Ava's POV)
I took the dessert to Rachel, who was on the phone with someone else, and who it was, I didn't need to know.
I just watched her from the sidelines as she chatted very happily as if she had forgotten about my existence, for which I had no feeling whatsoever.
It is sad because of being left out. Such thoughts have become childish. I got used to this situation long ago.
After Rachel finished her phone call, she very naturally took that dessert over, and then she looked at me with a somewhat distressed expression.
"To be honest, Ava, I really didn't want to attend those parties, but the other party seemed to have a very strong attitude, and I simply couldn't refuse."
I knew that she was waiting for me to say something to her.
But I knew that no matter what I said, I would get the expected answer.
I just smiled gently at her and then comforted them.
"Rachel, you can refuse to go if you don't want to, and if their attitude is tough, then you can be a little tougher than their attitude."
Sure enough, after hearing me say this, Rachel sighed again.
"Ava, you know, I don't want them to hate me, but I'd feel a lot better if you'd stay with me, oh."
I was always a poser.
This is very clear to me.
But it never occurred to me to change that. All the same, I smiled at Rachel: "I'd have no problem with that if you want."
She seemed to be in a much better mood, and her mouth started saying strange things again, mostly compliments, which, of course, I didn't feel anything about.
Rachel is a very good girl, and she knows this very well herself, and I admit that this is something that cannot be denied - unless I want to get into some trouble.
I always hear comments from people who envy me for having a friend like that, when in reality, they could probably understand my pain if they spent just one day with Rachel.
I even had a few surprises after I first learned about Raphael and Lena.
I really couldn't think of what kind of girl it would be that could steal anything from Rachel's hands. Soon, I felt sorry for Lena again.
Because she messed with Rachel.
To be honest, after I first heard Rachel's plan, I had an urge to run away, but the idea was finally stopped by me. Because Rachel once again showed me what I would get.
"You know, Rachel, I don't need any of this stuff just because you're my friend."
After I said those words, I even felt sick because of my own words.
But it doesn't matter, I reassured myself.
Rachel did something even more disgusting than I did.
But I soon regretted it, not wanting to do this kind of hookup when I realized what kind of a person Lena was.
"But, my dear, you are not testing her feelings for Rafael in this way."
The smile on Rachel's face did not disappear, but her gaze had begun to freeze.
I swallowed: "And it's dangerous if Tom does something else when he's drunk-"
"When did I say anything about testing her true feelings." Rachel's comment sent chills down my back.
"I was trying to show Rafael what it's like to be a woman he likes, Ava, I don't seem to have asked you to do anything, it's always been a good job, whether it's winning Lena hood's trust or whatever, don't let me down, okay?"
Rachel is still smiling, she looks really beautiful, no one can reject her beauty, but at this moment, I finally recognize her sinful soul.
God will punish her and she will pay the price she deserves.
But I feared her.
So I still nodded down, even at the expense of Lena, I wanted to preserve myself.
But soon, I regretted it.
I watched Lena struggle in front of my eyes and even wanted to rush over to help her, push Tom away, or do something else for that matter.
But Rachel stood on the other side and warned me.
I looked at Rachel and didn't want to believe it was true.
Lena didn't seem drunk, she knew exactly what was going on here, but she didn't have the strength to break free, and that stung me hard.
I sent the message, and my hands were shaking as I typed it. I don't know at what point I left tears in my eyes, but at that moment, I regretted it.
I regret it, I regret it.
(Rafael's POV)
I'm okay with Rachel's little antics, like when she investigates Lena behind my back or asks someone close to me for some information about us.
Rachel asked me on her first day in the Maldives, "Rafael, do you trust Lena that much?"
"Rachel, my patience is limited."
"It's okay, Raphael, I know you probably don't care what she's been through, but the future will tell."
I think that everything she did was just because we grew up together and I looked at her as a capricious sister, and I never faced up to the idea of her wanting to marry me.
And as a result, I did underestimate what she was thinking.
While Ralph and I were conferring, I suddenly received a text message from an unnamed user.
My heart skipped a beat as I read the content of the message.
I didn't care what Ralph thought, and when I didn't say a word and went straight out, my only thought was to get Lena down.
Time seemed to be getting very urgent, Landon called and I knew he wanted to talk to me about the dilemma he was facing, and I'm sorry, that was no longer something I needed to think about.
"Landon, I know, listen to me, arrange for an ambulance to come down to the hotel right away, the sooner the better, the best doctor, got it? After that get Mr. Smith over here, I know he's on leave, triple pay, if that doesn't work then five more, and I seem to remember his little girl is going to be inducted this year, he'll understand the seriousness of the situation."
I had no more time to waste, and even accidentally bumped into many people on my way to dash past.
In a panic, when I pushed the door open, I almost experienced what desperation means.
The man - Rachel's friend - wanted to slump over Lena's body like a puddle of mud. I didn't know if those wounds were all because of each other or not, but my heart began to ache when I realized that Lena had gone out of her way to hurt herself to save herself.
I admit that I have lost.
I lost the bet with Ryan pretty thoroughly.
I could feel myself trembling, I couldn't control my body, I couldn't care about anything like I used to do with other people.
Lena has become a part of me.
I fell in love with her again, or, as I have to admit, I never gave up liking her.
Those wounds seemed to cut directly on my body.
I didn't care if the man was dead or alive, and when I kicked the man away, Rachel came running up screaming.
"Hey! Raphael, that's not right, Lena was the one who seduced Tom first!"
I took Lena into my arms, her body was already excessively soft and probably didn't have much strength to struggle.
I looked at her shocking wounds, a moment of some backwardness.
This gave me some illusion as if I almost lost this woman.
Lena probably knew I was coming, too, and reached out to hug me tighter.
I turned my head, Rachel looked like she was mad, she was very upset about it, it didn't matter, she did not affect me.
I can tolerate her playing some smart behind my back, but once she touches my bottom line, what greets Rachel will probably be more than just my verbal warning.
"Rachel, you're not a child anymore, there are things that you have to be punished for after you've done something wrong. I am late, but my eyes are not blind, don't take me for a fool, or you will regret it."
Rachel seemed to want to say something else, but I ignored her.
"Rafael! Does your father know you're tangled up with a woman like that?!" I heard Rachel scream somewhat hysterically, but my steps didn't stop there.
My father - I'll prove it to him.
The doctor arrived just in time, but by that time, Lena seemed to be unconscious.
I hugged her, like getting some lost and found treasure, the look has been cold.
"I'm sorry, Lena, I'm not going to put you in danger anymore."
Lena gave an almost unconscious laugh as she struggled to open her eyes to look at me, those purple eyes with a love that broke my heart: "Rafael, if this was all a dream, I wish instead that I had never met you so that I wouldn't have to suffer so much and you wouldn't have to suffer so much."
"Forgive me, Lena, I've come." I frowned without a frown and lowered my head to rest gently against her forehead.
Lena let out a laugh: "You know, you said you were going to marry me ...... Did you mean it? If not, I wish you could tell me, Rafael, please ......"
It was as if something had stabbed me hard in the heart: "Yes, Lena, I will marry you, it's true, all of it, it's not a dream, darling."
Lena kissed me on the lips.
I watched her being wheeled into the emergency room, and the smell of hospital sterile water was too much for me to bear.
I sat on the hospital promenade with nothing on my mind.
After an hour had passed, Lena was wheeled out, and the doctor told me that Lena's trauma was serious and that some of the wounds even required several stitches, but were not life-threatening.
Lena was wheeled into the room and I just stood outside silently watching the nurses take care of her.
My heart was completely relieved.
As I breathed a sigh of relief, my phone suddenly rang.
My eyes jumped a little when I saw the caller ID.
"Father."