Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 190: Fight For Her?

Chapter 190: Fight For Her?

Minutes later, as Archie walked down the long hallway toward Avery’s room, his footsteps were slow, hesitant, like he was carrying more weight than just his own. The polished floors reflected the dim lighting above, but he barely noticed. His thoughts were louder than his shoes hitting marble, louder than the blood pulsing in his ears.

He didn’t know what he was going to do once he got there.

What was left to say?

It had been confirmed. She used him.

All of it, last night’s confessions, the soft touches, the desperate way she clung to him, none of it had been real. Not the ’I love you, not Brian.’

Not the trembling words about breaking up with Brian. Not the way she’d looked at him like she’d finally seen him, the version of himself he only ever showed to her.

It had been a lie.

All of it.

And then this morning, God, he could still see the horror on her face when she realized what had happened between them. That she had cheated on her boyfriend. That she had betrayed someone who clearly mattered to her.

She hadn’t looked at him with anger. She had looked at him with devastation. Like he was the weapon that ruined her world.

His chest tightened.

It was obvious that she waw going to lose more from this breakup than anyone else seemed to know. That much had been clear in her panic, in the way her voice had cracked when she whispered Brian’s name. It had looked like it wasn’t just a relationship.

Like it was a lifeline. A shield. Something she needed.

Not that Archie couldn’t step in if she needed help. If Brian made things ugly or if there was fallout with the McCallums, or worse, with the press, he could handle it. He knew he could handle it, as he had the resources, the reach, the power.

But Avery wouldn’t want his help.

She hated him.

And she’d hate him even more when she remembered everything. When the memory came back in full, raw detail. When she realized she’d been the one to reach for him, said she wanted him, loved him. Even if it wasn’t real, it would crush her. It had already started to.

And that... that was what made it unbearable.

Because while he could handle media scandals, boardroom wars, and even the wrath of the entire McCallum empire...

He didn’t think he could handle her pain.

Not when he’d be the cause of it.

He stopped at her door, hand hovering just inches from the handle. His jaw clenched.

What the hell was he even doing here?

He didn’t have the answer. Only the ache in his chest, and the memory of her voice from last night.

You are the one I want.

And God, wasn’t that the cruelest lie of all?

He exhaled, lowered his hand, and finally made to push the door open when an excited voice filtered out of the room.

"...it was sooo fun!"

Archie froze.

His hand which had just touched the doorknob went rigid, his body locking in place as he recognized the voice that rang out from inside—lively, cheerful, and very much awake.

Avery was awake?

For a second, just a second, something fragile and foolish fluttered in his chest. Was she talking about last night? About... them? Was that what she was calling... fun? Had it actually been fun for her?

Then he heard her next words.

"If dreaming of doing it with him makes me so excited, how do you think it’d be like in reality? I even feel sore even though all we did was kiss and just grope each other here and there."

Archie’s brows furrowed instantly.

Dreaming?

What the hell was she talking about?

What happened between them was absolutely not a dream.

Before he could dwell much on it, Emma’s voice floated out next, filling in the blanks he hadn’t asked for.

"So what you mean now, Vee, is that the reason you didn’t join us at the restaurant for your birthday is because Brian called you out for some private fun first with him at Abbar. You two drank and then he went to the toilet, and when he came back, you kissed—"

"Passionately," Avery giggles interrupted.

"—and did a few other things..." Emma continued.

"We didn’t do much though. We didn’t even get to home base," Avery added like an afterthought.

Each word sliced deeper than the last as the blood drained from Archie’s face, his stomach clenching so hard he felt nauseous.

She... she thought what happened last night with him was with Brian instead?

A moment of silence passed. Then Emma’s voice dropped to a playful murmur.

"Then Brian brought you home and you dreamt that you got to home base with him and it was sooo fun. Now you’re waking up. That’s all?"

"What else are you expecting to hear?" Avery said brightly.

Archie stumbled back a step

This wasn’t just a misunderstanding.

This was a fucking nightmare.

Inside, the conversation continued as if someone hadn’t just ripped his heart out.

"So when are you meeting Brian next?" Emma asked. "Will you talk about your night together?"

"Of course not," Avery replied quickly. "Just because I said it now doesn’t mean I’m not shy. I’m just... excited! I won’t mention it unless he brings it up first. I don’t want to seem like a sex-starved fool."

Emma chuckled, nervously, then pressed, "But if you really love him, don’t you think he should know your true self? No pretending?"

"Of course I love Brian!" Avery exclaimed.

And with that, it happened.

The blade that had been slicing Archie apart all along finally sank into his chest.

Just last night, she’d said she didn’t love Brian.

Just last night, she had looked at him like he was the only thing that mattered.

And now...

"Even during the dream," Avery continued inside, "there was this moment where I felt like I was cheating on Brian. And the thought was so terrible, even in the dream. I never want to feel that way again."

Archie’s knees nearly gave out at that. It was confirmation that he couldn’t do anything.

She had forgotten everything.

No. Worse. She’d remembered something entirely different. Something that didn’t exist.

Something that painted him, their night, as a lie her brain had rewritten to suit the fantasy she still held for Brian.

Inside, Avery got up from the bed.

He heard her murmur something about her shirt, how strange it felt against her skin and how she couldn’t remember buying it. Then her voice, light and carefree came again:

"I’ll go take a bath. You guys can choose any time you want to celebrate the birthday. Since I’m the one that missed it yesterday, I’ll make out time whenever you choose."

Outside, Archie didn’t bother waiting to hear the bathroom door close. He took a shaky step away from the door, willing the thundering in his chest to quiet.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Emma stepped out, her eyes immediately locking onto his. She froze. Her expression shifting into something more somber.

"I couldn’t tell her," she murmured, guilt lacing every word. "Since the doctor said not to..."

Archie let out a short, humorless laugh. "It’s great like that," he said, voice bitter. "Best she doesn’t know. Saves me the hassle of trying to explain."

Emma narrowed her eyes slightly, studying his face. "I know you don’t mean that. Even though I wasn’t sure before, I am now after what happened between you two last night."

He stared at her in silence for a moment, jaw tense, then tilted his head slowly. "How do you know what happened?"

Emma hesitated. "I don’t know exactly," she admitted, "but I have an idea. Anyone with a working brain could’ve sensed it. The way you look at her... the way you’re standing out here like a ghost. It’s obvious something happened between you two."

Archie didn’t speak. His silence wasn’t agreement, but it wasn’t denial either.

"Uhm..." Emma stepped closer, lowering her voice. "I know you have power, Arch. And the will. So why don’t you just fight for her? Why won’t you just do something? I don’t like Brian for Vee, either. He rubs me the wrong way."

That was when Archie finally smiled.

Not an happy one.

It was thin, crooked, and soaked with something broken.

"I can fight a million men who want her," he said softly. "But I can’t raise a finger against the one man she wants."

Emma blinked. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.