Dylan's frustration grew as Erica and Gianna's words swirled around him. The idea of Ava, the woman who had been nothing but submissive for the past year, suddenly becoming aggressive didn't sit right with him. His eyes narrowed in disbelief.
"Are you sure she did that?" he asked, confused.
"Yes," Erica confirmed. "She pushed me and argued with me."
"I understand she was upset," Gianna added. "But she shouldn't have pushed Erica."
"Where is she?" Erica snapped. "Call her. I want to have a few words with her."
"She is not here," Dylan muttered with growing annoyance. "She is at her father's place."
"What?" Erica exclaimed exaggeratedly, pretending to be shocked. "You are back from the business trip, and she is not home! How can she do that to you? Call her now—she needs to come back!"
Dylan scratched his brow, their voices grating his nerves. "Let her stay with her father. Maybe she needs a break," he said, his tone clipped. "I'm heading to the office."
Without waiting for their response, he walked out.
Both women gaped at his departing form with disbelief.
Erica fumed, "Is he getting soft toward Ava? What's happening?"
Gianna remained quiet, her fists clenched tightly by her sides, rage flickering in her eyes. She wouldn't let Ava get Dylan's attention.
"Dylan is right," she said softly. "Ava needs time to rest. Let her have a few days with her father. I'll make sure Dylan isn't lonely in the meantime." A calculative grin surfaced on her face. She wouldn't lose the chance to get close to Dylan.
'He will be mine soon,' Gianna thought.
~~~~~~~~~~
At the office…
Justin handed Dylan a file, which needed to be checked, and signed the documents. But Dylan froze as he took the file from him. A flicker of his disturbing vision from the previous night resurfaced, clouding his focus.
He vaguely remembered Justing handing him a folder, claiming that something was wrong in their findings. What was that folder about? What had gone wrong?
He frowned unable to make sense.
"Mr. Brooks, sir?" Justin waved his hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?" His concern was evident in his tone.
Dylan grimaced as he tossed the file aside. He was not in the mood to work.
"You have been acting weird since last night. Shall I fix an appointment with the doctor?" Justin's concerned voice broke through Dylan's thoughts.
Dylan raised his eyes at Justin, who swallowed nervously under his cold glare.
"Tell Ava to come to my cabin, now," Dylan commanded fiercely.
Justin's face paled. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Madam hasn't arrived at the office yet."
Dylan's scowl deepened. "Not arrived!" he snapped, straightening his back. "It's almost ten o'clock! Doesn't she know how much work is still unfinished? Call her. Tell her to be here in half an hour, or she loses her job."
Justin didn't make a move to call Ava. Instead, he stood there, staring at Dylan. It only fueled Dylan's fury.
"Why are you staring at me? Call her."
Justin shifted uncomfortably before speaking, choosing his words carefully. "I think you're being too harsh, sir. Maybe she is not feeling well. Let her take a day off. You should go see her instead. After all, you missed your anniversary—"
"Why should I go to her?" Dylan interrupted. He refused to admit how Ava's absence bothered him, how it twisted something deep inside. "She is doing this on purpose—trying to get my attention."
Over the years, she had always followed him, trying to get close to him. This was another trick of hers. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"She knew I was on a business trip," Dylan continued vehemently. "But she attempted suicide to threaten me. Why was she so impatient? Couldn't she wait for me calmly? She is sick because of her own mistakes. But this shouldn't hamper the work. Tell her to come to the office…now."
Justin nodded frantically. "I'll call her." He quickly dialed Ava's number.
Dylan kept his eyes on him, curious.
"Hello, Mrs. Brooks. How are you feeling now?" Justin asked cordially when the call connected, putting the phone on loudspeaker.
"I am fine, Justin," came from the other side of the phone.
"Good to hear that. Uh… sir wants you to come to the office."
"I have already taken a leave," Ava said, her tone clipped. "Tell your boss to check his email."
Dylan frowned and checked his email instantly. There was indeed her leave of application in his inbox. 'Leave rejected,' he mouthed silently.
Justin nodded understandingly and said, "I am afraid your leave application has been rejected. Sir wants you here in half an hour. Or else, you will lose the job."
Ava's derisive chuckle came out of the phone. "Then I'll gladly resign. I don't want to work there anymore."
Beep
The call ended abruptly, leaving both men stunned. Justin's eyes darted nervously between Dylan and the phone, unsure of what to say.
Dylan's mind was a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief. The idea of Ava resigning without even a second thought seemed impossible.
He thought he misheard her. 'Yes, I heard it wrongly,' he convinced himself. But the uneasiness in his heart was glaring.
Ava chose to resign instead of coming to work. This was something he had never imagined. Dylan had the feeling that she was abandoning him. He clenched his jaw with irritation.
Ava would do anything to be by his side. She would never, could think of leaving him.
"Sh-should I…uh…call her back, sir?" Justin suggested.
"There is no need," Dylan snapped. "She is playing hard to get my attention."
"I am telling you: she is upset. You should go see her."
Dylan dismissed him with a dismissive wave. "Don't pay attention to her. She'll come back on her own." But even as he said it, a pang of doubt gnawed at him. What if she was really leaving?
He dismissed the idea soon and commanded sternly, "Go and do your job."
Justin breathed out a small sigh and turned to leave.
"Wait a minute." Dylan's voice rang from behind, making him pause, and turned back to his boss.
"Do you need anything, sir?"
Dylan frowned. The thought of Ava being upset with him gnawed at his heart. He didn't like the feeling. He wanted her to see docile and submissive in front of him.
"What should I do to appease her?" he asked, after thinking for a while.
Justin smiled. Finally, Dylan was ready to apologize to his wife. "Women love flowers and gifts. You should give her some flowers. And don't forget to take the anniversary gift. She will be happy."
Dylan's face hardened. The idea of buying flowers or gifts for Ava felt foreign, almost repulsive. He had never done all this before.
Justin, noticing his boss's inner turmoil, smiled cautiously. "Trust me, sir. Women love it when men show a little effort. It's not about the flowers—it's about the gesture."
Dylan's gaze hardened as he mulled over Justin's suggestion. He didn't have any feelings for Ava, did he? The memory of his claim in the dream flickered back almost immediately.
Why would he even dream of saying something like that?
It made no sense. He pushed the memory away, shaking his head. It was just a dream – a weird one.
His motive was clear. He had married Ava to settle old scores, to trap her, and to use her as leverage against her father. Her emotions didn't matter to him.
"I'm not doing this for her," Dylan muttered, more to himself than to Justin. "It's part of my plan – to keep her trap with me until I achieve my goal."