Walking away

Sam saw through the footage that Ava met Jacob before she fainted. He was surprised because Jacob was supposed to be in prison so he sent someone to inquire about him and found out that Jacob had been released and left the city. Sam connected the dots and concluded, himself that Ava couldn't see Jacob behind the bars so she must have got her father to drop the case, and that day they must have met for the last time to give each other a farewell.

"Shut up!" When Oliver heard Jacob's name he was so angry that the blue veins in his forehead started to throb visibly.

Sam smiled and shook his head helplessly: "You're pathetic. I assume you don't know that Jacob was released from the prison."

"What did you say?" Oliver's cold eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked at him. The grim look on his face was very frightening at that moment.

"Mr. Knight, you are such a shrewd businessman how could you not know about it?" Sam said in a ridiculing tone.

Jacob was out of prison? Oliver was furious. He clenched his fist, he was having a hard time keeping his anger in control. He was so angry that he wanted to kill someone at this moment. He was busy during this period of time with the Land and the company affair so he let Jacob's matter slide his mind, besides he was confident that Jacob had no way out of the prison, then how was he out? The only possible explanation could be, Ava!

Sam smiled faintly and looked at Oliver with sympathetic eyes. He stared at Oliver for a few seconds then left him alone with a satisfied smile on his face. His work was done here.

Oliver jump into the pool in a trance and swam for a long time in the cold water.

In the other part of the water park.

Erika and Arvin were walking side by side when they saw a white Pavilion beside the tulip field. It looked so beautiful that Erika couldn't help but enter the pavilion. It was designed in an asymmetric order with different kinds and shapes of trees and flowers which gave the place a unique beauty.

Erika looked at the violets and suddenly asked in a light voice, "Why Jessica and Kiara are here today?"

"I don't know that either," Arvin said honestly.

"Is that right?" Erika sat down, she didn't know why she was upset. Jessica was Arvin's fiancée so it was normal to be here with him but Erika felt her heart stung seeing them together.

Arvin looked at Erika, he could tell from her tone that she didn't believe his words. So he decided to explain again, "What I said is true, I didn't invite them."

"Well, I believe you," Erika said lightly and looked a bit relaxed.

"Rika, why do you hate Jessica so much?" Arvin finally gathered some courage and asked her, he needed to know if it was because of him if she had any feelings for him.

"Didn't I hate her because of you?" Erika smiled mischievously but the next second, her face turned cold," Arvin is that what you wanted to hear? I'm sorry to disappoint you but it's not because of you I hate Jessica."

From the moment Arvin agreed to marry Jessica, Erika has already put her feelings away for Arvin. She was a very proud woman how could she fall apart because of a man. However, if he didn't give up on her so easily then maybe Erika would agree to be with him. But in this world, there are no ifs.

Erika was very reluctant. It was Arvin who approached her first and after disturbing her peaceful heart, he ran irresponsibly to get engaged to another woman. How could Erika forgive him for that? She would rather be hurt than compromise, besides Erika felt that Arvin's feeling for her wasn't very sincere. So even though she terribly missed him she hid her true feeling and chose to be friends with him for the sake of growing up together.

"Rika!" Arvin's eyes turned slightly red in anger because of Erika's cold attitude.

"What?" Erika asked quietly. She had made a promise to herself that she would never let Arvin control her mood again.

"Nothing. Go take a shower and change your clothes." Arvin said with a bitter smile.

He knew both of them were stubborn and there was no winning but he still felt pain in his heart. Erika will probably never give him another chance. Arvin suddenly realized that what he missed was his life with her.

"By the way, the man I came here with today, he is a teacher of Beijing No. 4 High School. He is a nice man I like his polite nature very much." Erika's beautiful eyes were warm with a smile at the mention of Sam.

Arvin looked at Erika's smile and felt his eyes were burning. Erika had a cold temperament so she wouldn't often laugh but she would smile sometimes and whenever she did, it would brighten the whole room. Arvin once used to feel very proud that Erika would have those smiles only for him but now she smiled at the mention of another man and told him that she liked that man. Arvin suddenly felt he couldn't breathe.

"Rika, why?" Arvin couldn't hold it anymore he got a little excited and grabbed Erika's delicate arm.

"Why? There isn't always a reason now, is there? But if you need one, then maybe because of love." Erika said lightly but her words were very heavy. Even she could feel the weight of her words.

"Love? Because of love? Because of love..." Arvin kept mumbling what Erika said as if he was trying to see reason or trying to make sense.

Erika just smiled but didn't say anything else, she turned and walked away from there with steady steps. She refused to turn back and show her weakness, however, she did turn back after waking far away from him. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, suddenly she felt all her strength was drained from her body. She was finally able to walk away from him.

The moment Erika took a step away from Arvin she already knew how she felt about him, they have been with each other for years even though on and off but still together, so how could she deny her love for him. She also realized that her feeling for Sam wasn't as deep as it was for Arvin but today she decided to end it all with Arvin so she could move on and start fresh with Sam. From today onward Arvin was just her past and Sam was her present.

"In the future, it will only be Sam in my life." Erika pursed her lips, but she could not stop the tears from falling.