Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 29: The Real Ava Donovan.

Chapter 29: The Real Ava Donovan.

"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..."

"What?" Avery raised her brows.

"I married a penniless wife," he replied, his voice belying a fake hint of regret. He added, "Observing this arrangement from all angles, it’s not a profitable one for a business man like me. I am literally gaining nothing." If Archie’s aim was to distract Avery from mocking herself, he was successful.

She leaned back on the car’s seat.

"How is this arrangement not profitable to you? You said yourself earlier this afternoon that you own me! Is there any other price that would cost more than sacrificing my body and soul?" she questioned, the pitch of her voice decreasing the more she spoke.

She was suffocated. While she spoke, the cool and calm atmosphere in the car had transformed drastically to a tense, heated one. It was just as it was earlier that afternoon when Archie had called her ’his’. She met his gaze to see his sparkling blue eyes fixed on her, and without needing anyone to tell her, she knew he was the cause of the changed atmosphere.

"Uhm...Archie, you alright?" she whispered, her soft voice trembling slightly. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked again. Her tongue might be sharpened most of the time while speaking to him, but she knew the man was more dangerous than he seemed or even looked. The night from four years ago was still etched in her mind, after all.

"Do I look alright?" his voice, deeper than it was earlier, sent ripples down her chest.

"I...I...ow!" she gasped, when his face suddenly came up before hers. A moment ago, he was sitting directly opposite her and now, he was right in her face, staring straight into her eyes. "What are you doing, Archie?"

"Taking a bite of what I own, Mama," he whispered. Before Avery’s mind could register what he said, he leaned down and nipped her on the rise of her breast. Just once, and he was gone, leaving her wanting more. More of what? She could not tell.

He simply returned to his previous position with a smile on his face, looking like a different person from who he was few seconds ago. Slowly, the tense atmosphere dissolved easily but Avery was still short of words.

Struggling to bring her thoughts to normal, she picked up the tablet beside her and began scrolling even though she was not organized enough to pick up any words.

★★★

’’Good morning, Nancy!’’ Avery greeted, as she sauntered leisurely into the kitchen to join the older woman. Her voice was cheerier than it was through the past two days, as she had gradually started to feel comfortable in the presence of the housekeeper.

Drying her hands with a towel she picked off the counter, Nancy replied, ’’Good morning, Miss Ava. Did you sleep well?’’

’’Yeah,’’ Avery lied. With her sleep duration growing shorter every night and the little time her eyes were closed filled with nightmares, she was literally sleeping anything but well. ’’How about you? You came in earlier than yesterday.’’

’’Yes. The boss instructed that I start coming in and leaving earlier so as not to uh...make you uncomfortable,’’ Nancy replied. Seeing the frown that was starting to form on Avery’s face, she was quick to add, ’’It’s no problem though. I know you didn’t ask him to tell me that.’’

’’How would you know that, Nancy? He’s clearly trying to put me in your bad books and hinder me from interacting with anyone except his brothers,’’ she complained. After they arrived from the charity ball two nights ago, she had not laid her eyes on Archie and the dogs. He was always off to work before she woke and came back only after she had fallen asleep. While the dogs always left for daycare at the same time and arrived with him too.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Nancy’s loud laughter, the corners of her eyes crinkling in amusement.

’’You are truly as innocent and kind as Master Donovan says, Miss Ava. But you really do not have to worry about me,’’ she assured, ’’I can tell when the master is lying. Being his housekeeper for 2 decades has taught me that.’’

’’You have been his housekeeper for 20 years?!’’ Avery exclaimed, her eyes widened in shock. ’’Don’t tell me you raised him.’’ If Nancy had really been Archie’s housekeeper for the past 20 years, then it meant she had been with since he was 12 years old. It was...shocking, to say the least. Plus Nancy being his housekeeper for that long without break could only mean she knew the real Ava Donovan. Why had she not mentioned anything about it?

’’Raise him? That’s one big joke there.’’

Avery agreed, ’’Well, that’s believable. A warm and cool person like you couldn’t have raised someone like Archie." Now uncomfortable in the presence of someone that might know her secret, she quickly excused herself, "I shouldn’t hold you back, Nancy. I will be back for breakfast later."

"Alright, Miss Ava. If there’s anything you feel like having for breakfast, you must tell me and I’ll make it."

"Thanks, Nancy." Avery turned and retraced her steps back to the living room, reclining on the egg chair that was placed in front of the floor to ceiling window. That had been her routine for the past two days.

Wake up, freshen up and get dressed, come down to have a small chat with Nancy, eat breakfast and finally, sit here and survey the city. But she was done with all this.

She must not get comfortable with living as Ava Donovan and holding all her possessions, ones that were nice no doubt.

She swung the chair around and called out to the kitchen, "Nancy?"

"Yes Miss?" came the reply.

"Can I trouble you to place a call to Archie and tell him I won’t be sleeping tonight until he returns?" she requested, her brows set with determination.