Sonya ran into Ava's arms when they finally walked out of the warehouse, she hugged her so tight that Ava could hear one of her bones crack.
" I'm sorry, Mom, I should have never left Thailand." Sonya apologized for being so reckless and disobeying her rules, once again. On the other hand, Zain caught on the word ' Mom ' which Sonya called Ava, it all made sense now. The reason they resemble so much, how desperate Ava was to save this little girl. It's because she's her daughter, they are mother and daughter. Ava told Sonya to wait on the bike, without a word, she quietly walked towards the motorbike, giving the two some privacy. Silence reigned, non of them spoke for a while, not bearing the awkward silence anymore, Ava decided to break the uncomfortable silence.
" Well I ---,
" You and Charles huh? Who would have thought." Zain cut her off calmly, as he stared into nothing. Ava stared at him for a while, trying to make out of his expression and body language. But he showed non, he still remained his usual nonchalantly formidable self, with a sigh, Ava spoke.
" It's kind of a long story." Ava stared at the stars blankly, a bitter smile making it's way to her face. Zain finally turned to look at her, he didn't shift his gaze away from her face for a while, he always feels his breath shorten whenever the moon reflects on her, she always seem to sparkle and shine beneath the moonlight, while the soft wind blows her long silver grey hair across her face, her thin lips slightly parting and pressed back together in a thin line. Ava caught him staring back at her, they locked eyes letting their eyes do the only talking. Ava didn't know what Zain was thinking at that moment, she never knows what he's thinking, it was like staring into an empty vessel, you can't really see anything inside because there's absolutely nothing inside. ' how can one handsome guy be this cold and formidable?' Ava thought, it's like reading a book she could not understand no matter how much she tried to read it over and over again.
" You can tell me all about it over dinner then."
Zain simply said.
" Huh?."
Ava blinked at him, startled by his sudden words, ' did she hear him right? inviting her over to dinner, or she misheard him?' Ava still stared at Zain blankly, as though waiting for him to repeat what he said earlier on, just so to confirm.
" Tomorrow, 7 O'clock on the dot." Zain said before walking away, Ava watched his straight proud back walk away as he got into his car and drove off, left with no words to utter. ' what... just... happened?' she murmurs.
" I think he just asked you out on a date." Sonya whispered next to her, Ava turned to her daughter with a frown.
" Were you listening to my conversation? I thought I asked you to wait on the bike."
" Sorry, it's hard not to listen, you two look so cute together." Sonya smiled cutely. Ava just stared at her daughter with a serious face.
" Let's go, it's getting late." Ava simply said getting onto her motorbike, she let Sonya wear the helmet since there was only one.
" Where are we going?." Sonya asked wrapping her arms around Ava's waist.
" Home, it's time you meet your Aunt Emma, before you meet your great grandparents."
They drove off, and shortly after they arrived at the apartment, it was quite late and Ava figured Emma and Trixie might already be asleep.
" Freshen up and go straight to bed, bathroom is over there, and my room is to your left." Ava said, Sonya nodded heading to the bathroom, she took a warm shower before putting on pajamas that Ava handed her and went to bed. Ava went to check on Emma and the baby before she to freshened up and retired to bed next to Sonya.
Trixie kept turning on her bed, pressing herself on it as though wanting to bury herself deep inside, she didn't seem to find it as comfortable as usual. Her hands formed into two tight balls, hardly slamming them on the sides of her bed in a frustrating growl.
" Ughh... i need to get a new mattress." She said with grit teeth, but it wasn't the mattress that had a problem, for the matter of fact it was more than comfortable. Trixie was more annoyed of herself for being so foolish, for a man like Lucas to ever consider or pay any attention to her, she blamed herself for being stupid and naive, he used her and dumped her just like that. The press was right after all ' she was nothing but one of his girls, the ones he has a one time thing and never look back again ' the thought of it made her sick in the stomach, she felt like throwing up. She was stupid to think she would try to change a person like him, there's simply no redemption for people like him. Trixie thought, reaching for her phone__ it's exactly 1am in the morning. Tossing her phone aside, she buried her face on her pillow and screamed in frustration.
The next morning,
Emma woke up with a smile as she stretched in bed.
" Good morning sunshine, how are you." Emma played with little Maria Eli, Emma was surprised that her baby didn't wake up in the middle of the night to cry or throw a feet like other new born babies do. She guessed the little thing was just as exhausted as she was, Emma fed her baby before she to went to freshen up. On her way back to her room she heard a noise come from the kitchen and decided to go check it out.
" They're up early."
Emma mumbled to herself, referring to Ava and Trixie, she froze when she saw a teenage girl with a toast in her mouth while holding a bowl of cereal and milk in her hands, her long silver grey hair hiding half of her face as she stared back at her.
" W...who are you, and_ what are you doing in my kitchen? Most importantly, how did you get in?."
Emma creased her brows curious at the girl, Sonya laid down the bowl of cereal and milk on the table, removing the toast from her mouth and putting it aside. She turned back to Emma with a wide smile.
" Aunt Emma, so excited I get to finally meet you in person."
Sonya went and hugged Emma in a tight embrace, Emma stood there stunned and confused at the same time. Sonya stepped back to introduce herself.
" Name's Sonya, Ava's daughter."
" A -- Ava's daughter? Ava, my sister?." Emma blinked shockingly.
" Hmm, she went to the supermarket to get some milk cause we're almost out."
" Wait, how old are you?."
" 16, Thailand was a bit boring for me so I came here." Sonya said biting onto her toast, Emma stared at her quietly, scanning her face and everything... she couldn't believe the similarities she shared with Ava, is she really her daughter? How come she never mentioned this important detail the first time they met? Emma frowned.
" I see you two have met." Emma turned when she heard Ava's voice behind her.
" Yes we have, are they any other secrets you need to throw my way other than you having a teenage daughter? Just want to be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared." Emma said with a raised eyebrow.
" I'll go take shower." Sonya awkwardly said, leaving the kitchen. Ava sighs pulling out a chair and sat down, pushing her hair back
Emma sat next to her waiting for Ava to drop the bombshell on her.
" When I finished my military training, I fled to Portland, I didn't know anyone there nor did I have a place to live, one night I was roaming the streets and an expensive black car stopped in front of me, the backseat window rolled down and there was this man, I could tell he was wealthy and dangerous at the same time, I knew he wasn't a good man... but I stood there with my head held up high, I refused to show any fear and weakness. He smirked at me amused, he offered me a place to stay_ in return I work for him, that's how I met Jerry my former boss. Through that period of staying with that man_ I got pregnant, and I gave birth to Sonya, I didn't want to raise my daughter In that environment and in their world that's full of violence, death, drugs and prostitution. I begged Charles for my freedom but he refused to let me go, but I never stopped begging him, it took him a while before he agreed to free me - but with a condition that I don't keep him away from Sonya," Ava gave a sarcastic chuckle before she added, " do you know what he said to me?" Emma shook her head.
' you're the first and probably the last girl I would free, that's because you're my favorite, you amuse me and that's something no other girl or woman has managed to do. The other girls will be jealous that you got such a privilege, that's because you're special, and rare.'
"Those were the words he said to me, I went back to Thailand and let Sonya stay with my aunt while I continued to work for Jerry. When Sonya turned five years I let her celebrate all of her birthdays with her dad and his family, she has fifteen half siblings. Not once have I ever attended her birthday while she's with that family."
" You say Sonya's father is a bad man, what does he do exactly?." Emma asked.
" He is a drug dealer, he runs an organization across different countries."
" He's a Mafia? Ava! Are you for real?."
" Not my best decision either, I know... but I was young and naive, a lost soul." Ava leaned back in her seat.
" Well, I know how difficult it must have been for you...still is, but she's very beautiful --- and talk about genes, who resembles their mother like that? Starting with the hair to the face, later alone character." Emma laughed out.
" I was shocked myself every month she grew older." Ava commented as they laughed together.
" When are you planning on introducing her to grandma and grandpa?."
" I was thinking tomorrow, over lunch."
" It's perfect, I will let them know we're coming over tomorrow." Emma excitedly said.