"That is it," Avery replied. "I don't know the exact way she was killed but was my story enough for you to guess?" she asked.
Archie nodded in affirmation.
"It was more than enough. Now we have to talk about your plans from here on," he stated. "You saw the article from earlier. Even with a new name, going into showbiz might not be all that advisable."
"Why?" Avery asked, genuine curiosity evident in her eyes. "Am I not uh…beautiful enough? But I look kinda similar to Emma, can't I pass?"
Tilting his head sideways as if to check Avery out, Archie's eyes sparkled with amusement. It was like he had just heard the biggest joke of the year but he'd be damned if he spoke his thoughts out.
He chuckled, "You don't look similar to Emma in any way, Ava. But that's not the point I am driving at. I have the power to make Lake an actor if I want to, so this is not about your looks."
"Then what is it about?" she snapped, displeased that she was being compared to Lake, a dog. Leave it to Archibald Donovan to turn her moods sour whenever he wished.
"Your talent. Can you act?" he asked, "You also mentioned modeling, are you confident you can do that? You know you can chose to punish from the shadows instead."
When Avery didn't reply immediately, he added, "I can buy you fame and respect even without talents, but I'm not sure you would like that."
"I would not want that," Avery confirmed.
"Then…"
She continued, "I can act. Acting used to be my dream but then, I fell for Brian and thought we could best be compatible if I ventured into business management like him. The rest is history."
"I don't think that's the only reason why you chose to be in the spotlight while aiming for revenge. You can act, alright, but is there something else?"
"Emma." She tucked the loose tendrils of hair flying across her face, to the back of her ear. "She said I had to come to you to get power and plot revenge, but from the audio message I listened to after, I saw that she was only trying to force me away. To leave her there and escape alone. She wanted me to be happy, so I will do exactly that."
"Acting makes you happy?"
"Yeah, and I could return to university too and study a dream course. The McCallum Group of companies was given to me on a platter of gold so I didn't have to graduate university before taking over, since the board thought I had the ability and my family also backed me up with their shares."
"So now you want to do things that make you happy like acting and schooling, while plotting revenge at the same time. That's smart. What do you plan to do when you're done destroying the traitors. Continue to keep yourself happy?" he asked.
Avery chuckled mirthlessly, a sad smile crossing her face. "You think I have the ability to stay happy? Surely not."
Archie returned the smile. His, a little brighter than hers, "We will see about that. For now, I have to show you around the floor so you know where and where not to go."
Minutes later, they were standing in the dark hallway Archie had retreated to with the whiskey bottle and glass, the previous night.
"Where is this?" Avery asked, a little hesitant to walk forward. After the tour through the whole penthouse—excluding his room—where every single door led to one breathtaking surprise after another, she didn't want to think that Archie had delayed the worst for the last, "Why is the hallway so dark?"
"Because I want it so," he deadpanned, turning to examine the look on her face. "You don't seem interested so let's just go back. It leads to the wine cellar by the way."
"So my movements are not limited in this house then?"
He narrowed his eyes. "You are my wife. We are co-owners of this place."
"But I am just borrowing—"
"You, are still my wife, Ava," he insisted, in a manner which would make anyone think she was really his wife. "No more questions will be entertained on that topic."
Nodding, Avery took a step closer to him, curiosity evident in her eyes as she met his gaze, "I have a question though."
"What is it?"
"If your wife's name is Ava Donovan and she is dead, you are supposed to hold her name dear to your heart, right?"
"And?"
She proceeded, "Why then do you call me Ava? It is supposed to be a special, untampered name…right?"
★★★
4 Years Ago.
18 year old Avery stormed into the house, kicking her shoes off without bothering to check in which direction they flew off too. Her grandfather would force her to search for them later on but for now, she needed to get this anger off her chest.
Waving over a maid who was passing by, she asked, ''Mrs Wilson, do you have any idea where my brother is? And Emma too, she has no shoots today, right?''
''Miss Emma has no shoots scheduled for the rest of the week and at the moment, she's relaxing in the private living room with Master Arthur. They have a visitor," the older woman replied.
"A formal meeting?" she probed.
Mrs Wilson shook her head in reply, "Not at all. The visitor is only a friend of Master Arthur."
"Thanks," she muttered her appreciation, running towards the stairs which would lead her to the living room.
Whoever that visitor or friend was, she was prepared to have it out with him tonight.