Avery's Game Of Revenge
Chapter 83: Hate It When She Does That.

Chapter 83: Hate It When She Does That.

Deaf to the nickname he had addressed her with twice in ten minutes, all Avery could think of was his threat.

"Is this because I tore the files at your office?" she asked, her voice so calm that it scared even herself. "Are you doing that to my cousin to make me regret what I did?"

"As if," Archie said, a mirthless chuckle escaping his lips. "You think their lives are worth billions of dollars? It’s a no, if you ask me."

"Then you are doing that just because they insulted you?" Avery asked again, to see him shake his head in disagreement.

"Not really. I said it before. They are getting punished because they insulted you too," he replied.

Avery nodded slowly, sucking in her lower lip to bite hard on it.

"Alright, I heard and understood you perfectly." She ran her hands through her hair, her brown eyes flaring in anger, "But how the fuck is it your concern that my cousin insulted me amidst her friends?! Hell, she is ’my’ cousin not yours!"

"I don’t care," Archie deadpanned.

Avery’s lips parted in shock, surprise, disbelief, astonishment and everything rolled into one feeling, falling speechless at Archie’s nonchalant reaction to what she said. She had bluffed earlier by saying Arthur took him in as a friend because he was obsessed with charity cases; as it was damn obvious that if anyone actually took the other as a friend for charity reasons, then it was Archie who took Arthur in, but still... she had expected him to be a bit hurt. But instead, her harsh words had failed to work on him, like he was a human representation of a steel shield.

And not only had her harsh words proved to be useless when targeted at him, they seemed to have dug up a darker side of him. The one who regarded money as far better compared to a human’s life.

"I’m going back now. Will you come with me?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts, "After all, you came to this place so you could comfort me... didn’t you?"

"I would rather put a bullet through my head than comfort you!" Avery spat in annoyance, and continued to curse him out, "I hope your corporation loses more stocks and shares through this incident and that you go bankrupt soon! I hope the loss causes you depression and that trashy monsters like you are emptied from this world as soon as possible!"

"mama..."

She interrupted him before he could say a word, "Tell Arthur I left. Let this be the last time I’ll be seeing you in the same space as I am." Her fingers made another journey through her hair before she continued, "Rest assured, I’ll keep away from anywhere you are too. And Archie..."

"Yes?" he responded.

"I hate you. Everything about you," she declared.

With one last hate-filled glare directed at him, Avery turned around to leave when she felt his hard grip on her shoulder, pulling her back.

"What the—" she started to curse, when the words ceased in her throat.

"Sshh," Archie had whispered. But that was not the reason why she was short of breath right now, it was because the tip of his fingers were making contact with her skin, the exposed part of her chest.

With a focused gaze in his eyes, he busied himself with fastening the buttons she had loosened earlier that night so she could attain a relaxed and more feminine approach, before entering the private room.

"Don’t go around looking like that," he whispered, his voice causing an ache to form in her chest and his heated gaze transferring the ache down to her lower belly, "I hate it when you do that."

Then he stepped away from her...and flashing a small smile, one which looked kind of pained, he walked away.

★★★

The night from two years ago was the last time Avery saw and spoke to Archie, before she came to meet him at the underground parking lot 2 months ago. And she had been shocked, even with all the sorrow in her heart, when he had agreed to protect her that night.

Did she still hate him?

"No," the answer escaped her lips in a low murmur, before she could hold herself back.

’’You said what?’’

Avery jerked her head up at the voice she hadn’t expected. Consumed by her reverie, she had totally forgotten Orion was still here, standing before her and waiting for her answer.

’’Uh...you were saying?’’ she asked.

Orion blinked, ’’You didn’t hear me just now? I...I just...I asked if you still hate him, Arch.’’

Avery flashed him a bright smile as her arms went to fold across her chest.

’’What do you think?’’ she asked tentatively, pausing for a few seconds to give him time to reply. But when he simply stared at her, her smile widened, "You should think about it when you’re alone."

"Alright then," Orion replied. He turned away from her and pressed the elevator button, a short silence ensuing while they waited for the doors to open.

And in ten seconds, the wait was over and Orion stepped into the elevator.

"Good night, Ava. Sweet dreams," he wished.

"Good night."

Avery watched the doors close. She slumped against the wall and slipped down to the ground, her flowy nightgown falling around her as she buried her face in her knees.

When the memories from 2 years ago rushed into her mind just now, she had had only one regret. And the regret was that she didn’t go and warn Valentina and her friends about the allergies on that day.

If she had done that, Archie would have murdered them all and half of the problems she was countering today would be non-existent. Who knew if Jon and his family would have discarded their revenge plan if their beloved daughter had died at the time?

If that had happened, maybe she wouldn’t be here today and maybe she would still hate Archie, but then... Arthur would still be alive, Emma would still be alive and free from trauma, and she would still have her grandfather backing her up.

On nights like this when she wanted to cry her heart out, her family would be around to join her.