Even as the driver helped Ava up, her mind spun as she registered the stranger's words. Fiancee? She stared at the tall figure approaching her bewildered.
Dark, commanding, dressed in immaculate attire - a black pant with bottons left undone from the neckline of his black shirt, enough to reveal his firm chest. The young man that looked like he was in his late twenties exuded a powerful presence that felt strangely familiar, yet completely foreign.
"Are you hurt?" His deep, yet low, steady voice cut through the chaos around her. He held her arm, his intense gaze scanning her face, as if accessing her for injuries, before his eyes traveled to the rest of her body.
Ava couldn't respond. Her heart pounded as memories from before flooded her mind. The crash, her death... Yet here she was, alive and staring into the eyes that looked at her with... Concern? Impossible. She'd never seen anyone in her family look at her like that.
"I- I..." Ava stammered, still not quite sure if she was dreaming. Her voice cracked as she managed, "Who... who are you?"
Maximus paused for a moment. His brows cocked. "We'll talk when we're inside the car. You're still in shock," he murmured before turning to Lucas. "Get the door."
Ordinary, Ava may have questioned him, resisted even, but with the whole overwhelming incident, she decided to follow him without asking any questions. She almost fell as she took a step toward the car, if not for Maximus's hand that instinctively clung to her waist. Her legs were still weak from everything she had just witnessed.
She clung to his arm for support, trying to balance herself, but before she could protest, he lifted her effortlessly from the ground, cradling her in his arms as though she weighed nothing. Her breath hitched, and she glanced up at him, her cheeks flushing with surprise.
Now that she was so close to him, it was impossible not to register his almost otherworldly facial features. Beautiful pale blue deep-set eyes, well-defined nose bridge, strong, perfectly sculptured jawlines.
"You're still weak," he murmured. "Just relax."
Ava had no choice but to let herself be carried, her head resting just under his chin as he brought her toward the car. Her heart beat erratically, torn between her proximity with him and the fear of him hearing how it raced. When he carefully placed her into the car, she sank into the plush leather seat, and her gaze grew distant as Maximus took his seat beside her.
As the car began to move, everything dawned on Ava once more. She couldn't tear her gaze from the stranger at her side who claimed to be her fiancé.
She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but her voice wouldn't cooperate. Instead, a single tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek. It took everything inside of her to hold back the remaining tears that wanted to break lose.
For twenty long minutes, silence stretched inside the car. Neither Ava who had a lot of questions to ask, nor Maximus who was curious about what Ava was doing at the middle of the road said anything. Until Ava finally broke the silence.
"What day is it?" Her voice was small, uncertain.
Maximus shifted, turning his gaze to her. He didn't answer immediately. He studied her face for a while before he finally said. "It's a Friday."
"No," Ava shook her head vehemently, rephrasing after she realized Maximus didn't get the question. "I mean the date. What's today's date?"
Maximus's brows lifted, and his gaze narrowed on her as if he was trying to read something from her expression. "October twentieth, 2016."
Ava's stomach dropped. October 20th... This was the day- the very day she died. But somehow, she'd been thrown eight years back. It didn't make any sense. Her pulse thundered in her ears, but she forced herself to stay composed.
Maximus watched her unfazed. He wouldn't deny that he was tempted to ask her questions, but in her current state, he knew she wouldn't be able to give a straight reply. After a tense pause, he handed her an envelope.
Ava blinked, frowning. "What's this?"
"The lost videos from the hotel's security cameras and the drug sample you asked for," he simply said.
Her confusion deepened as she opened the envelope. Inside was a small flash drive and a sample vial, just as he'd said. Lost videos? Drug sample? She had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed to believe she did.
"I have kept to my end of the bargain, Ava," Maximus said smoothly. "I expect you to do same and stop with the stunt you pulled today. Dying is no longer an option for you."
The stunt I pulled…? His words echoed in her head as the car pulled up to the towering Whitlock estate. Ava was left stunned by his strange words- dying was no longer an option? Since when had anyone cared whether she lived or died?
As she stepped out of the car, she watched Maximus drive off with a storm of questions swimming in her mind. Maximus was a stranger who she didn't even know his name until now. His sudden caring attitude toward her made her wary of him.
Fiance or not, she'd been burned enough times by people looking to use the Whitlock's name by associating with her. This wasn't the first and it was certainly not going to be the last. She wouldn't fall for it again.
If only they knew her position in the Whitlock's household, they wouldn't bother wasting so much effort, she thought as she walked into the Whitlock's Resident.
Ava took a deep breath as she walked toward the mansion's entrance where Wadsworth, the ever-stoic butler, awaited her.
"Miss Ava," he greeted, bowing slightly.
Ava gave him a curt nod, barely acknowledging the familiar coldness of the Whitlock estate. A couple of minutes ago, while she laid on that cold bed, she never knew she would be back to this place once more. But here she was, walking behind Wadsworth who led her into the mansion to where 'The Lady,' Ava's mother was, after briefing her on how she requested her presence the second she stepped feet into the household.
The soft hum of classical music played in the background where Matilda sat, in the beautiful lounge. When they entered the lounge, Ava paused, her heart pounding as she took in the sight of her mother in flesh and blood. She looked so serene, so composed. That sight made Ava's heart ache.
Wadsworth cleared his throat. "Miss Ava has arrived, Lady Whitlock."
Matilda didn't look up right away, instead she took another dainty sip of her tea. She set the cup down with a soft clink, and dismissed Wadsworth with a wave.
Ava's stomach twisted as walked further into the room after Wadsworth excused himself. She could barely stop the memories from her final moments from surging back into her mind. Matilda's hateful words kept echoing in her head.
"Ava is dying? Good... Let her rot..."
She almost stumbled to the floor as she felt her legs grow weak with each step. Her eyes grew damp. How could a mother utter such vile words to her dying child?
Finally, Matilda looked up, her eyes narrowing with disdain. Without a warning, she rose and crossed the room. Her hand struck Ava's cheeks with a force that sent her head reeling.
"You whore! Do you think the Whitlock's name is yours to disgrace?!" Matilda spat, her face twisted with disgust.
The sting of the slap, the venom in her mother's eyes... It was all so bitterly familiar. The room spun as memories flooded back with dizzying clarity. She had lived this exact moment before.
Ava touched her cheek, a bitter smile forming as the realization sank in fully. This was no nightmare or joke. She was back. Somehow, she had been granted another chance in her miserable life.
But this time, she would be damned if she made the same mistakes again.