Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 28: Lonely Benefactor.

Chapter 28: Lonely Benefactor.

Music Rec: Dark Horse by Katy Perry.

"The man in there; was that Brian?"

Archibald saw her lips move but heard nothing come out of them. He couldn’t care less about it, since it had happened many more times than he could count. Avery speaking and he, hearing nothing because he was completely enthralled by her appearance.

His eyes roamed her body, taking in every single details about her. He had done this so many times yet he was never tired since he always found new things that fascinated him on her. Just like now, she seemed to have lost weight seeing as the gown he had perfectly tailored to her size, seemed to be a little loose around her waist. And how her hair that she had dyed black seemed to be fading to its original color, chestnut brown.

"Am I talking to someone here?!" He read her lips, snapping out of his thoughts to answer her, "That was Brandon Walker. I’m guessing you know him?"

"I do," Avery replied, her voice shaky. "But he’s not supposed to be awake. He was in a..."

"...coma for two years and woke up a month ago, precisely the day Avery McCallum died," Archie completed.

"And how do you know that? You said you only know Brian cause he dated me so how come you have this much info on Brandon too?" Brows raised in suspicions, she added, "Plus why and how did he get here?"

"The answer to all your questions is a single person, Orion."

"Orion?" Avery echoed.

"Orion," Archie repeated, the corners of his lips twitching when he saw that the woman before him was starting to get angry. Impatience and Avery walked hand in hand as best friends, he noted.

"I heard that the first time, Archie. Care to explain why he’s the answer?!"

Just then, a black limousine drove up to them, giving Archie the opportunity to delay answering her.

"Let’s resume this conversation in the car. We shouldn’t make more headlines than the one you made in there," he stated. Before she could agree or reply him, he walked straight into the car and took his seat, with Avery trailing after him.

She settled herself directly opposite him and without making herself comfortable, lunged straight into the paused conversation.

"We are in the car now and I am listening," she said.

"The reason Brandon Walker was present in that party is because Orion invited him," Archie began, his tone seemingly bored. "What was your other question?"

"Why did Orion invite him? You didn’t ask him to do that just to test my anxiety, right?"

He sighed, removing his glasses to show his sharpened gaze.

"Damnit, Ava! Tone down on the suspicions for once, won’t you? If I wanted to hand you over to them, I wouldn’t have held you with me for this long. Your returning to them depends only on you and your obedience alone."

"You can’t blame me for being overly suspicious," Avery retorted. "My trusting nature and stupidity put me here in the first place."

Not wanting to get into a situation where he would hear more self blaming sentences from Avery, Archie changed the topic and went ahead to answer her questions. If she thought she needed to know that, then he would not hold back in telling her. "From what I learned, Brandon Walker was friends with Orion before his accident and now that he woke up, I guess they reconnected. The reason Orion invited him to the ball tonight is to introduce him to a private investigator he uses."

"Private investigator? Why would a member of the Walker family leave the investigators on their level and find a high ranking one instead?"

Archie took his time in answering her and when he finally did, a sigh was all that escaped from his lips.

"What? Can’t I even ask that?" Avery questioned, her voice strained from defiance. She knew she could not argue with him if he decided not to tell her, but there was no harm in pressing for answers, was there?

"I am tired, Ava," he breathed, "I am tired of speaking. With your never ending questions, I think you will just have to read the report yourself."

Frowning, Avery had no choice but to collect the tab from his outstretched hand, but not without a retort.

"Is this you telling me I talk too much, Archie? You have—"

"Read that, Ava. You will find things that interest you."

That was all it took for her to shut her mouth and lower her gaze to the tablet’s screen. She read through the report, fury glistening in her eyes as she read from one line to another. Brandon Walker woke up the day she left the country and began physiotherapy immediately. His dedication leading to speedy recovery, he was able to leave the hospital within three weeks but instead of returning to the Walkers, he went instead to an apartment he rented by himself.

The report stated that he began looking for Avery McCallum the same day and enlisted the help of his friends to hire private investigators. Even after most reported her dead, he wanted to have one last try with a top PI, and that was what led him to Orion. When she was done reading, she placed the device gently on the space beside her and looked up.

"Why is he searching for me? I don’t think we had much contact in the past."

"Got the answer to that from Orion," Archie replied. "Did you pay his hospital bills on that day?"

Avery nodded, hesitantly. She wasn’t sure any amount of time could wash away the anger and self hatred she felt whenever she remembered that moment when she paid the bills with the last money in her account.

"Apparently, his family abandoned him in the hospital for a while now. If you didn’t pay the bills that day, he would not have gotten enough care from the doctors and would not be awake now."

Avery laughed in mockery of her own self.

"I rushed to the hospital to pay for someone else while my family were in danger. Now he’s looking for me? For what? To thank a lonely benefactor?"

"And a broke one too," Archie added. All of a sudden, his expression grew serious and he sat up, "Now that I think about it..."