Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 196: Make Him Feel Better

Chapter 196: Make Him Feel Better

Because no matter how fierce her revenge could get or how cunning she could end up being, Archie knew the truth now.

That she still felt the pain of what happened too deeply. And her revenge was what would help her move forward.

He bent down and brushed a kiss across her forehead. She let out a soft sigh.

It wasn’t even a sexual sound, but it was enough to stir something wild in him again.

Sucking in a deep breath, he forced himself to get out of bed. The room was still warm with her scent, but he ignored the temptation to linger.

He walked out the door and made his way down the hall, pushing through the silence of the house until he reached the library. Sliding into the leather chair by the computer, he tapped a few keys. The screen lit up, and there it was.

The image of Brian kneeling before Avery, his hand around her ankle, filled the monitor.

Archie leaned back, arms folded, brows furrowed as he studied it. The lighting of the picture was soft, the angle too perfect, clearly intentional. He had sensed it after he saw the picture yesterday, but had been to blinded by jealousy and anger that he hadn’t bothered to look further into it.

Now that he had free time and was actively looking for something to occupy himself, there was nothing stopping him anymore. His jaw tightened as he whispered under his breath, "What the hell is the fucker planning?"

He scrolled further down the page, reading the comments.

"What the hell is going on with Brian Walker?"

"I think he might be falling for someone that looks like his ex-fiancée?"

"Well... who knows, Mr. Walker might just be a sucker for pretty girls, and as Ava Donovan is surely one of a kind, he’s going after her?"

"I guess he can’t get over that murderer Avery! What can we say? No one can control themselves when they’re in love! He must want to replace her with Ava!"

"No! No more speculations. Let either of them come online to tell us what’s going on. None of this makes sense anyway!"

Archie’s lips thinned into a hard line, the more he read. He scrolled further, his eyes catching on another trending thread.

There was a post from last night: Avery and Alice Sherman arriving on the red carpet. Another photo captured Avery in a mask, speaking with Jodi and other notable figures in the industry. The caption hinted at mystery, speculation rampant in the comment section.

"Pretty sure that’s Valentina McCallum. She’s been everywhere lately."

"Isn’t she living up to her dead cousin’s name, and bringing even more popularity to her? An invitation to a ball of this magnitude must be the organizer’s way of showing their support to her!"

"If people like that are supporting her then she’s truly going to be unstoppable in the industry!"

"Why do i feel it could be Ava Donovan. She and Jodi Sinclair have been close since filming Broken Hearts. That chemistry was no joke."

"Whoever she is, she’s got presence. She’s going to blow up after this event, mark my words."

"What if it’s neither of them? First off, they’re pretty new to the industry. And second, don’t you think they would’ve posted something on their private accounts if it were really them?"

"Exactly! Getting invited to a ball like this—especially one where you walk the red carpet alongside Alice Sherman—is the kind of thing any regular actor or actress would shout from the rooftops! This is just my opinion, by the way!"

Tsking, Archie exited the page before he could finish reading. He picked up his phone and dialed, listening to it ring once.

"Neil," he said as soon as the call connected. Why am I just hearing that the doctor didn’t go see her while we were away?"

"She almost broke my glasses that night. I wasn’t stupid for requesting it."

"Then arrange for Dr. Ellman to stay at the Penthouse for the next few weeks. She needs to be checked on."

A pause.

"Yes, it’s that bad. So make the preparations fast enough."

His voice dropped to a sharper edge. "Don’t make me have to call for feedback."

~

Avery stirred with a soft grunt, her body aching in places she never knew could feel pleasure, or pain, in quite the same way. She turned slowly, her hand sliding across the sheets.

Warm. Rumpled. But empty.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she tucked one hand beneath her cheek. For the first time in forever, she felt full. Ravished in the most intimate, decadent way. Her skin still hummed with memory, and something in her chest fluttered softly at the thought.

Last night was... perfect.

Her eyes flew open.

She sat up in bed, the silk sheet slipping off her bare skin, and glanced around.

Wait... where the hell had the culprit responsible for everything she was feeling gone?

Her gaze swept the room again, as if he might suddenly reappear from behind the curtains or out of the closet. But no, he was gone. Not a single sound of movement beyond the walls. No footsteps. No murmured calls. Just silence.

She shifted, about to climb out of bed, the instinct to go search for him surging forward. But then she stopped.

Actually... maybe it was good that he wasn’t here right now.

She sank back slightly, resting against the headboard, her arms loosely hugging her knees as she took a long, calming breath. She needed this moment. A second to breathe. To think. To catch up with everything her brain had refused to process lately.

The last few days had been a blur, a hurricane of truths, secrets, and emotions she hadn’t had time to fully digest.

And yet, the very first thing that popped into her mind when she sat down to ponder on it was that...

Archie loved her.

No. Obsessively loved her.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at the memory of his words, his hands, the way he looked at her like she was the sun, the moon, and every star in between.

He had been obsessed with her for years. Watching. Waiting. Wanting.

And now... he had her.

That thought alone sent a shiver down her spine. A part of her was scared, scared of how deep that obsession ran, but another part? Another part was oddly comforted by it.

Because his obsession meant protection. It meant he would never harm her. It meant he would shield her from every threat the world could possibly offer.

But at what cost?

She inhaled again, longer this time, holding it in before letting it out slowly. Why think too much? Everything was going well for once, wasn’t it?

He would protect her. That much was already proven. She could feel it in the way he watched her, touched her, spoke her name like it was sacred.

And in return?

She would do what she could to "make him feel better", as the object of his obsession.

Share his bed. His silence. His fire. And, at the same time, execute the revenge she had never abandoned.

At least... until their one year deal was over.

That was fair... right?

"No!" A loud voice rang in her mind, sharp, undeniable. But she pushed it aside with practiced ease.

She slipped out of bed and padded toward the bathroom. Maybe a hot shower with no one looming, no questions or heated glances, would help her settle.

Steam curled from the half open door, the sound of the already running bath a surprise. She stepped inside, skin prickling at the heat in the air, and eased herself into the tub.

As the warmth engulfed her, she leaned back with a quiet groan of relief and held her head in her hands.

"If only I had that tea Nancy always made..." she muttered, closing her eyes. "Now that would be perfect."

☆♡♡♡☆

Orion strode down the long hallway of the hotel’s executive floor, the soles of his boots muted against the thick carpet. His eyes bounced between his phone screen and the numbers mounted on each door. 721... 723... 725...

"Come on..." he muttered under his breath, irritation gnawing at his nerves.

He reached the end of the hall, exhaled sharply, and thumbed through his contacts. With a decisive swipe, he called his brother.

It rang only once before the line picked up.

"Ian," he said, voice low but urgent. "Help me, please. Just tell me what you want me to do in return and I’ll provide it. Right now!"