22 Divorce? Never!
Dylan stared down at the documents, stunned. His chest heaved as he tried to process her words, but all he could feel was an overwhelming sense of uneasiness.
As Dylan looked at the word ‘Divorce‘ on the documents, an unsettling image from his recurring nightmare flashed before his eyes. It seemed as if the same thing had happened in the past.
Ava’s claim. ‘You killed me, filled his thoughts..
His chest tightened with panic, an urgency he couldn’t explain. The fear of losing her gripped him. With a sense of urgency, he tore the papers into shreds, his face scrunching up with both rage and desperation.
Ava gasped, stunned.
“Divorce? Never! Not in this lifetime.” In a flash, he pinned her against the wall with a force that knocked the breath out of her. His lips crashed onto hers with a brutal intensity.
Ava tried to push him away, but he only pressed harder, his hands firm on her wrists as he pinned them above her head. His kiss was harsh, punishing.
Ava’s stomach dropped in panic. She felt as if he would tear her mouth apart. “Dylan, stop it,” she managed to plead between gasps.
“I am your husband,” he hissed. “Is it wrong if I kiss you?” He devoured her lips again, biting, sucking, punishing her for bringing up divorce time and time again.
Ava felt her stomach twist with dread. The violent, possessive kiss felt like a war, as if he were battling her will, refusing to let her go. Each time she tried to pull away, he crushed her attempts with more force, her struggles weakening under his unrelenting grip. The fierce dominance in his actions drained her strength, leaving her helpless and cornered.
In the meantime, the door clicked open, followed by Gianna’s na
voice. “Dylan, I was…”
Gianna’s eyes widened, freezing in place as she took in the scene before her.
Dylan immediately withdrew, his expression darkening with irritation. Ava seized the opportunity to push him away. “You are disgusting,” she muttered, storming past Gianna and out.
of the cabin.
“You!” Dylan moved to follow her, his frustration palpable, but Gianna tugged at his arm, stopping him in his tracks. “Uh, Dylan, wait a minute,” she said hurriedly.
He pulled his hand free with a sharp jerk, glaring at her. “What brings you here? And I told you to knock before coming in,” he snapped, his mood shifting to cold irritation as he strode back to his
desk.
Gianna swallowed her frustration, keeping her face composed despite the burning jealousy that gnawed at her insides. She plastered on a smile, approaching the table with forced cheer.
“I prepared breakfast for you,” she said, placing the lunchbox on his desk. “I went to your
villa,
13
22 Divorce? Never!
but you weren’t there, so I came here. I baked chocolate muffins today–your favorite. I thought you’d like some.”
She opened the box, the sweet scent of chocolate filling the room as she pushed it toward him. “Try them,” she urged, hoping to regain his attention.
Dylan barely glanced at the box. “Gianna, I appreciate your efforts, but I’m busy now. I have at meeting in a few minutes. His tone was dismissive, a clear indication of his anger. “Keep them aside. I’ll cat later. You should leave now.”
The coldness of his response stung, her insides burning with indignation. Dylan said he was busy, but he had time to be intimate with Ava. Didn’t he always claim that he didn’t like her? Why was he kissing her?
“Ava, you bitch, she fumed silently, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. But outwardly, she maintained her pleasant demeanor.
“Alright, I won’t disturb you. Closing the lunchbox, she pushed it to the side. “Eat them after the meeting,” she added, forcing a final smile before stepping back, her face hardening.
Ava stormed into her office, seething with anger, muttering under her breath. “Why would he kiss me?” The memory of Dylan’s sudden, forceful kiss burned in her mind. She couldn’t make sense of it. He had always made it clear that he found her disgusting.
Dylan had rarely slept with her during their year–long marriage. They had sex only when he was drunk and emotionally distant. It was beyond her understanding why he would kiss her.
“He wouldn’t even touch me before, let alone kiss me, she fumed with disbelief. “What has changed now?”
His sudden change now seemed nothing more than a power play–a way to assert his dominance and remind her of her insignificance in his eyes. 1
“No matter how much you pretend to change, I won’t trust you anymore. You’ve hurt me too much, and there is no way we will get back together.”
She slumped into her chair, her body still trembling with frustration. She had been done with him for good, but why did his actions still affect her so deeply? a
Just as she began to collect herself, Justin appeared at her office, a wide smile on his face. Ava immediately narrowed her eyes at him, mistaking his cheerful expression for mockery.
“What?” she snapped. “Why are you smiling at me? Do I look funny to you?”
The smile vanished from Justin’s face. “No, madam, I wasn’t mocking you. I came to let you know that your probationary period for the COO position has already begun. I’m here to escort you to your new office.
“Huh?” Ava’s jaw fell apart. She hadn’t expected Dylan to be so quick. “Now!”
“Yes, madam, Justin confirmed. “Please follow me”
Ava, curious and confused, followed him, several thoughts rushing into her mind. ‘Dylan is acting
23
22 Divorce? Never!
weirdly these days, she admitted inwardly. ‘What is he trying to do?”
Was this just another one of his twisted games to keep her close, to torment her further? She grew skeptical.
“Justin, you are close to your boss,” she started cautiously. “Certainly, you know that he doesn’t like me. So tell me, why is he so generous to me all of a sudden? What is his plan?”
Justin paused in his tracks and turned to her. “As I told you before, he cared about you. I saw him panicking when he heard you were in trouble in the restaurant. He rushed over there immediately for your aid.”
“How did he know that I was in trouble?” Ava asked, raising her eyebrows suspiciously. “I didn’t call for help? Did anyone contact him?”
She knew it was Gianna, but she wanted to hear the truth from him.
Justin hesitated, recalling his boss’s instructions not to let Ava know about Gianna’s involvement.
“We got the information from an unknown source,” Justin replied vaguely. “It doesn’t matter who called. What matters is that Mr. Brooks genuinely cares about your safety, even if he doesn’t openly admit it.”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Cares?” she muttered under her breath. She wasn’t buying it, but before she could press him further, Justin gestured to the office in front of them.
“This is your new office. Feel free to check it out and let me know if you need anything.”
Gianna, who had been on her way to leave the building, had caught sight of Justin leading Aval down the hall. Intrigued, she had followed them, hoping to overhear their conversation. But when she heard the words “new office, it was as though the ground had been pulled out from
under her.
