Jack started to protest but Ava raised up her hand to stop him ” Jack, I’ll be fine, I promise ”
He finally nodded ” Okay, but holler if you want some sort of intervention, okay? ”
She nodded and took another deep breath ” Yeah I will, but I hope it won’t come to that ” She could feel her lower lip trembled just by the thought of them coming to disrupt the peace she found here in the King’s mansion.
Margaret spoke up ” You heard what he said, right? Cry out if you need help and we’ll come running ”
” I’d have my kitchen knife ready ” she added in a light tone.
Ava chuckled softly and nodded. She felt her eyes welled up with tears but blinked them back. She met such wonderful people just when she thought she was all alone in the world. This was the family she had dreamt of having, she smiled wistfully. It’s never too late to start over, the voice in her head consoled. Ava smiled, agreeing with her inner voice for the first time in days. They had sensed something was not right with her family but chose to keep quiet rather than asking her directly which may seemed rude. They probably didn’t want to pry into her private life.
” Hey ” Margaret said quietly, tapping her on the forearm.
” Huh? ” Ava asked, startled.
” Where did your mind wander off to? A lover we know nothing about? ” Margaret asked teasingly, trying to lighten up the tension in the room.
Ava managed to chuckle ” Nah, just thinking about something irrelevant ” she looked between Jack and Margaret, willing the pitiful expression on their faces would disappear. She didn’t need anyone’s pity, she thought.
Managing a smile, she said ” I’ll be back soon ”
They both nodded and Ava walked briskly to the door and went out, but not before waving at little Liam.
She saw Bobby busy with his phone, Ben was smoking a cigarette. She shook her head, wondering how she had coped with living with these monsters. They were the devil’s minions, if she must say. She made her presence known by coughing slightly. Bobby looked up first and smirked when he saw her.
” Now now, who do we have here? ” He asked rhetorically, the ugly smile still evident on his face.
Ben looked in her direction and smirked too ” So, this is where you’ve been hiding, precious daughter? ”
Ava clenched her hands in fists by her sides and gritted her teeth, trying so much to control her anger.
Ben saw her expression and laughed scornfully, thinking he had succeeded in shaking her up with fear. He continued ” When I made my research and found out you were here, I couldn’t believe it so I came here to confirm if you really worked here ” He puffed out a smoke that filled up the air, the smoky smell drifting in her direction.
Trying to suppress her anger, she asked ” What are you guys doing here? ”
Ben continued like he hadn’t heard a word she said ” Lucky you, I must say you got yourself a good job coupled with strong protection ”
By this time, Ava was boiling with anger ” What do you want from me? What are you doing here? ” She asked again, louder this time.
” You don’t butt in when I’m talking, daughter. You simply listen, have you forgotten your manners? Living in this place has changed your character, huh? ”
Bobby laughed ” Yes Dad, she thinks working in a mansion has made her rich so she could trample upon us anyhow ”
Ava threw him a dirty glare and he looked shocked at first, he was surprised Ava had the gut to glare at him when she couldn’t even looked at him right in the face back at home.
He covered his shocked expression with another ugly smirk of his ” Oh Dad, she’s glaring at me! I’m so scared right now ”
Both father and son laughed and Ava shook her head at their stupidity. She wondered how her mother found this gambler romantic, why had she married him anyways? She asked herself this particular question countless times even though she knew the answer.
Bobby snorted when he saw the glare she was still giving him ” You better drop that look or I’m gonna slap some sense into you and to hell with whoever comes to intervene ” He spatted out.
Ava raised her eyebrows and folded her hands under her breasts ” Oh really? Well, I assure you that you wouldn’t leave here in good shape if you so much try to strike me ” She threatened in a very low voice.
Bobby looked taken aback that she answered him right back. His eyes widened slightly as he registered her words. She couldn’t be bluffing, could she? Nahh, he thought. She wouldn’t be talking fearlessly if she didn’t have a good backup in the mansion.
Ben intervened ” Hey girl, watch your tongue, you don’t disrespect your brother that way ”
Ava laughed scornfully and threw a glare in the direction too ” You aren’t related to me in any way, my mother who got married to you is dead so tell me, how are we related? By blood? You better snap out of it and get it in your rotten head that you’re not my family! I’m not related to you in any way! ” She screamed.
Ben staggered back on his feet, too shocked to get words out. Not that he had a comeback anyway. Even Bobby looked shocked, it was the first time she talked back to them. Back at home, she was a small, fearfully kitten so when had she developed her claws? He wondered.
They stared at each other for a moment and held their gaze, not breaking the eye contact for a second.
She spoke up ” So what are you doing here? ” She asked again.