Avery's soul almost left her body when she felt the dog's wet tongue against her skin. The force from it jumping on her had tackled her to the ground, and not wanting to anger the dog, she stopped herself from pushing it away,
"Get off her, Lake. Now!"
A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she felt the weight leave her body, and she scrambled to her feet. Another embarrassing incident in the presence of Archie, added to the countless previous ones. Why the heck did he always see her at her weakest?!
"Sorry about that. They probably missed you so much that they got overexcited," Archie apologized, not the least bit sincere about it. He pressed the elevator button to keep the door open and tilted his head, "Will you stay in there forever?"
Avery could not bother herself with replying him. Instead, she kept her eyes on the dogs until they disappeared into one of the rooms further down the hallway, before stepping out of the elevator.
Feeling safe since she was now beside Archie and the dogs were completely out of sight, she allowed her eyes the chance to wander around the surroundings.
"Why would your dogs miss me? I didn't even know they existed," she pointed out.
Archie gave a slight nod in agreement.
"Not gonna argue with that. You don't know a lot of things," he deadpanned. "Lake and Thorne are my brothers. You of all people should not be scared of them, in any way."
Avery's eyes widened in astonishment, not because she just heard Archibald refer to those large dogs as his brothers, but because of the wonderful sight that was displayed before her.
From the gleaming marble floors to the soaring ceilings that seemed to touch the sky; to the chandelier above her which twinkled like diamonds, casting a warm glow over the lavish space. The plush carpets with soft, creamy hue tempted her to explore, leading her to the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered breathtaking views of the city.
"That's a wow," she murmured beneath her breath, her lips parting in awe.
"I heard you refused therapy," Archie's voice came from behind her, causing the excitement in her heart to dissipate within a second.
She felt it was his attempt to remind her of the reason she was in this place and not buried somewhere with steel chains hanging around her tombstone; a murderer that commited suicide to avoid arrest. She was not here to get distracted by some beautiful penthouse living room, but to work towards destroying the people who destroyed her.
She turned away from the floor-to-ceiling window to him, meeting his gaze for the first time in a month.
"I did. It's useless," she replied.
"In what way is it useless? You got emotionally stabbed multiple times in a few hours and you think you are strong enough to handle that?"
"That's not why I refused," Avery countered. "Therapy will only make me want to forgive myself but I can't. I need to live with the pain."
Archibald chuckled mirthlessly, a glint of annoyance in his eyes.
"Ava, I will ask for the last time. Do you really think you can live with the pain?" he asked.
"I will," Avery replied, determination evident in her caramel eyes. "And when it gets so much that I can't live with it anymore, I will endure."
"If you say so then."
Turning, Archie walked to the mini bar area where a bottle of whiskey and glass cup which Avery hadn't noticed before, lied on the polished table. He settled himself on the bar stool and poured himself a glass, not bothering to invite her to join him.
"You are dead to the world," he announced, like it was the most ordinary news ever.
"Uh? I don't…understand," Avery stated. Of course she had no idea of the things Archie had done in her absence. She had only trusted him to keep her safe, just like Emma had asked her to do, but she had no idea how he planned to.
"Avery McCallum is dead," Archie repeated, "To the world and everyone else that knows who she is."
"You faked my death?" Unable to believe her ears, Avery asked as calmly as she could. If she was non-existent to the world, how was she supposed to take revenge in the most effective way possible. That aside, didn't she sign a marriage certificate in the garage that night? Why—
As if he could read her thoughts, Archie stated, "The paper you signed that night was a blank one but I filled it up and now it's a contract. It states that I protect you at all means and in return, you do whatever I ask of you."
"Wh—what?! That–that wasn't a marriage certificate?" Avery stuttered in disbelief. She had signed the paper on that night out of desperation without even reading it and now…what the hell had she been thinking?!
"Do you sign a marriage certificate in the middle of the night, and in an underground garage? You really are dumb, Ava," was Archie's disinterested reply. "That must be how eager you are to become my wife."
Avery sighed in frustration, "I swear that's not it. What else was I supposed to think? If I am not married to you, how am I supposed to take revenge without a name and power?"
"And who said you don't have a name or position now?"
"But you just said I am dead—"
Archie nodded, "I did say Avery McCallum is dead. As for you…you have a new name."