Ava’s resolve

Ava deliberately ignored the vibrating phone on her bedside table and left her room furiously. She found her father in the hall, reading the newspaper, a cup of coffee resting on the small table beside him. Pushing away her annoyance, she approached him.

"Good morning, Papa," she greeted him, her face lit up with a bright smile.

"Good morning." Thomas smiled back at her, putting the newspaper aside. "Did you sleep well?"

Ava's smile faltered. The memories of her past life, the nightmares of betrayal and loss kept haunting her, and she couldn't sleep at all. But she quickly composed herself, forcing the smile back onto her face.

"Yes—like a child. I miss being here with you." She sat down beside him, linking her arm through his and leaning gently on his shoulder.

"Stay as long as you want," Thomas said softly, stroking her hair with fatherly affection.

Ava's gaze drifted to the nearly empty coffee cup on the table. Her stomach twisted as she remembered what Dylan had said about slowly poisoning her father in her past life. But in this life, she wouldn't let anyone hurt him. She needed to take control, starting by getting rid of anyone who might be working for Dylan.

"How about I make breakfast for you?" she asked, flashing a charming smile.

Thomas chuckled, clearly pleased. "That's great. I really miss your cooking."

"Okay, I'll prepare your favorite potato pancakes right away." Ava jumped to her feet and went to the kitchen.

A young maid was already preparing toast. Ava stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowing as she studied the girl. She didn't recognize this maid. Was she new? Or worse, was she Dylan's spy?

"You, what's your name?" Ava asked, her tone cold.

"I am Lia," the maid replied with a polite smile.

"Lia!" Ava's gaze swept over her from head to toe, scrutinizing every detail. She thought this maid could have been poisoning Thomas sneakily. "How long have you been working here?"

"A few months—six months, to be exact," Lia replied, still smiling politely.

"I see." Ava's eyes hardened. Six months. Her doubt grew even stronger. Dylan might have planted her there to keep tabs on Thomas. But she wouldn't let him succeed in his plan.

Ava lifted her chin and declared with cold authority, "We don't need you anymore. Settle your balance and leave immediately."

Lia blinked, her smile faltering in shock. "But... Miss, I—"

"No arguments," Ava cut her off. "Pack your things and leave. Now."

Lia's face paled. She wanted to protest, but she quieted down when she saw the fiery determination in Ava's eyes. She silently left the kitchen with her head bowed.

As the commotion settled, Ava moved swiftly through the kitchen, busy in preparing the pancakes. She was happy and relieved that she had finally chased Dylan's spy from the house. From now on, she would stay vigilant. Protecting her father was her top priority.

Once the pancakes were done, she set the table meticulously. Thomas joined her, taking his usual seat. A smile touched his lips as he inhaled the warm, savory aroma. "The smell is good. Let's see how it tastes."

He cut into the pancake and took a bite, humming in satisfaction as he chewed. "It's perfect. You remind me of your mother's cooking." He smiled as he continued eating.

Ava had tears in her eyes as she watched him. In her past life, she had not paid attention to him in her pursuit of winning over Dylan. In the end, she had lost him. This time, she was determined to make up for it.

Blinking away her tears, she mustered a smile and reached over to add more pancakes to his plate. "Eat more, Papa," she urged gently.

Thomas chuckled, raising a hand to protest, but Ava quickly pushed his hand away, forcing another pancake onto his plate. He laughed and continued eating.

For a few moments, both were silent. Only the soft clinking of cutlery against the plates was audible.

"Why did you fire Lia?" Thomas broke the silence. "Did she do anything wrong?"

Ava froze for a second, her mind racing. She wanted to tell him the truth, to explain Dylan's nasty plan to hurt her family, but at the same time, she didn't want to worry him. This was a burden she had to carry on her own.

"I don't like her," she said, pouting. "I'll find someone more reliable."

Thomas sighed. He didn't know what made Ava hate that poor girl. He hadn't stopped her at that moment as he didn't want to hurt her by questioning her judgment.

"I don't know what mistake she has made," Thomas began gently. "But Lia has been good to me. Her mother worked here for years before she fell ill. When she couldn't work anymore, she sent Lia, and the girl has been caring for everything, just like her mother did."

Ava listened but remained unfazed. Her mind was set—she was convinced that Dylan planted Lia to spy on her family and cause harm. It was better to get rid of such a person as soon as feasible.

"Sometimes, the people we trust the most are the ones who end up hurting us," Ava said cryptically.

Thomas shook his head, a confused look crossing his face. He didn't press further, but his confusion showed in the furrow of his brow.

"I don't understand why you said that. All I want is your happiness, Ava." He reached over and affectionately patted her head, offering a small, comforting smile.

Then, standing up, he added, "I'm running late for work. I'll see you this evening." With that, he walked out of the house.

Ava watched him go, her mind racing with thoughts she had never allowed herself to dwell on before. In her previous life, she had been so entangled in her own problems and her tumultuous marriage that she had never truly questioned the tragedy that had taken Dylan's parents' lives. She wondered why Dylan had this misunderstanding that her father had been behind the accident.

'I'll find out the truth and clear his name,' she resolved.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ding-Dong…

The doorbell chimed, breaking the silence of the house. Dylan went to open the door and found Erica and Gianna outside.

"Good morning, Dylan!" Erica grinned. "We came to see you as soon as we heard you were back."

"How are you, Dylan?" Gianna asked with a nasal tone, flashing a sweet smile.

"All good," Dylan replied curtly as he turned around and walked back into the house.

Gianna and Erica followed him in.

"Where is Ava?" Gianna asked, pretending to be ignorant that Ava had been at her father's place. "How is she now?"

Dylan clenched his jaw at the mention of Ava. He was furious with her. That woman had ignored his calls. 'How dare she!' he muttered to himself.

"Gianna, you are too kind," Erica said. "She treated you so rudely at the hospital. Yet you are still worrying about her."

Dylan whirled to face them, his eyes narrowing. "Ava mistreated you!"

"Don't be angry, Dylan," Gianna said soothingly, holding his hand. "You were not with her on your first marriage anniversary. It's obvious she was upset."

"I was on an important business trip," Dylan hissed, "not on a vacation. She shouldn't make a big deal of it."

"You are right, Dylan," Erica chimed in. "She has gone too far this time. She tried to kill herself. When we went to see her at the hospital, she humiliated us. She even pushed me down. Have a look." She stretched her arm and showed him the bruises on her elbow. "She hurt me."