Patrick Connor heard Adrian’s words and he scowled. He is apologising to her now, after she’s dead? What can his sorry do to her in the land of the departed ones?
He tried to let him see things right, but his distorted mind and hatred for the poor woman wouldn’t let him see, he was blind beyond correction.
He thinks because he’s wealthy and powerful, he could do things in his own way and nothing is going to happen after that. Now, he’s shedding tears after death has taken his toll on Ava Leon and her father.
Medicine after death cannot affect anything. Pain and sorrow after the head has been cut off cannot bring anything back to normalcy again.
As he dropped his flowers at her graveside, he glanced sideways and locked eyes with Adrian. He saw his painful looks and sorrow but he ignored him and went away.
Richard soon left and went to the hospital to see his father. Adrian Lester is left alone now and he stayed behind at the graveside and he kept repeating the same lines of words “Please forgive me Ava, I beg you, please forgive me”
Ava’s ashes were buried rather than being poured out in the river. Adrian wanted it so and he made a golden casket for it. A befitting burial, that’s what he gave his late wife.
Anna Lester wanted to go with Richard to the hospital but the latter sent her away. She knew her husband was mad with her over the incident that happened to Ava Leon.
She didn’t like the woman back then, but now, she feels she likes her. Besides being from a humble background, she doesn’t know anything else that makes her dislike Ava.
Except for the fact that Adrian doesn’t like her. She’d just decided to take sides with her son. Like who he likes and hate who he hates. She’s just trying to show her son how much she loved him more than anyone or anything else in this world.
She got home and sobbed. She has no idea that Sam Leon saved Adrian’s life back then. Even when he pleaded with her to remember the past, she claimed not to have received any help or favour from them.
This is all Richard’s fault. He should have told her about the past. He should have made her understand that Adrian is to marry their daughter to return a favour.
When Richard arrived at the hospital, his father was quite better. The servants were attending to him when he arrived. They soon left and Richard sat on the edge of the bed.
“What happened to you, Richard? Why are you unhappy?” Old man Lester asked. Something was wrong that made Richard unhappy.
“I’ll be fine father” Richard replied and quickly added “How’re you doing now” he would ask that his father be discharged and the treatment be continued at home.
“I’m better today than yesterday. Besides, where is my Ava? Haven’t you told her about my gradual recovery?” Old man Lester inquired.
This is unlike Ava. If she heard about his recovery, she would have come running to the hospital to check on him. Why hadn’t she come?
Or could it be, the divorce went through and she’s separated from their family now? But even at that, can Ava Leon really be separated from him? He loves her like a granddaughter. How can she not come to check on him already?
Richard looked away in another direction to conceal the sadness on his face. How he wishes life gave her a chance to survive death, he wouldn’t have cared if she chooses not to visit his father.
But death is cruel. It didn’t spare the innocent Ava. It didn’t consider her kind heart, it stole her away from them all. She’d gone to meet her father.
“Talk to me Richard, didn’t you tell Ava about my recovery?” Old man Lester repeated the question. His heart felt happy that Adrian had probably gotten through with the divorce with her.
Richard forced a smile and said “Ava has travelled far away from us father. We haven’t been able to contact her”
Old man Lester nodded. That must be it. She’s not in New Jersey again. She couldn’t bear the disappointment her parents would feel about the divorce.
Despite the fact that he hates to go and see Sam Leon, and tell him that he failed in keeping his promise, he still will have to go and see him. Sam Leon is a transparent man, he needs to know how things went with his daughter and Adrian’s marriage.
“I’ll have the doctor discharge you so that we can go home together. I’ll have some medical team follow up with the treatment at home” Richard said hurriedly. Being alone with his dad would make him keep asking questions about Ava Leon.
Old man Lester nodded. He wants to go back home and tell everyone how it all happened that day when he was attacked. He didn’t see the person’s face, but he definitely was a man that attacked him.
An hour later, Old man Lester was wheeled out of the ward and taken to the parking lot. The doctor said he shouldn’t stress himself and would be using a wheelchair until his injuries were completely healed.
As he was helped from the wheelchair into the car, old man Lester murmured about Adrian abandoning him in the hospital. Why didn’t he come to get him home rather than Richard?
The latter heard his father’s murmurings but kept quiet. He has no idea of the pain that Adrian was feeling at the moment. Maybe for his late wife or his unborn baby, he cannot tell.
When they got home, there was an unexplainable silence that heralded the Lester mansion. The servants were doing their job quietly, afraid of letting their breath be heard.
The securities and bodyguards were quiet as well and only talked in whispers. Old man Lester got into the house and saw Alice came over to greet him with a puffy face and soon disappeared before he could ask her what happened.
Anna descended the stairs in black dress. Her eyes reddened and she was walking carefully as if her feet were going to kill the ants on the floor if she stepped on them.
Old man Lester was uncomfortable with the environs. His old bones felt a weakness within. Something is wrong somewhere. What happened?
“I’ll take you to your room father,”Anna offered. Her tears trickled down her cheeks and she turned over quickly to stand behind her father. She almost let him suspect her.
Richard gave her a cold gaze and she understood. Grandfather shouldn’t be welcome with the news of Ava Leon’s death.
“Has my room been taken care of? The masked man who attacked me came in through the bathroom window” old man Lester disclosed. He hopes everything has been fixed. He cannot live in a room where his life has once been endangered.
Richard gave Anna another cold stare. A masked man attacked father and Ava was imprisoned for it and died in the process. Why wouldn’t they wait to hear from father first before blindly assuming that Ava attacked him?
“Adrian already prepared the room next to his own for you. You’ll henceforth stay next to Adrian” Anna explained hurriedly.
“Ok. Where’s Adrian and Ava now?” Old man Lester asked, turning his head backwards to glance at Anna and their eyes locked.
Anna’s eyes welled up with tears and it trickled down her cheeks uncontrollably.