"Ethan again?" Dylan scoffed, the bitterness in his tone unmistakable. She could have asked him, but instead, she had chosen to contact Ethan. It stung, the way she always seemed to rely on Ethan instead of him.
"Dylan, stop," Ava said sharply, her frustration flaring. "Don't be so hostile toward Ethan. My father raised him like his own son. We've grown up together. He is family—a brother to me. Why can't you understand that?"
Dylan let out a low, humorless chuckle. "To you, everyone else is perfect," he said bitterly. "And me? I'm the villain—cruel and heartless. Is that it? You'd be happier if I just disappeared from your life, wouldn't you?"
Ava's heart dropped to the abyss, her hand flying to her mouth. She had once believed cutting ties with Dylan was the only way to heal, but now the thought of him being gone brought a sharp, unbearable ache.
