Chapter 2

The moment I finished speaking, Ebony froze.

She seemed not to have expected that I would actually lock her in there.

After a long pause, she finally came to her senses and said, "Ava... you... you really want to lock me in?"

"Wasn't it your idea? How did it turn into me wanting to lock you up?" I smiled, amused.

"One word—are you going in or not?"

When David saw I was serious, he flew into a rage. "Ava Henson! Haven't you made enough of a scene? Ebony already lowered her head and admitted she was wrong—why won't you let up when you've got the upper hand?"

I reached up and touched the back of my neck, still burning hot, and couldn't help the corner of my mouth twisting. "How am I refusing to let up? She's the one who brought it up—what does it have to do with me? What's the matter? Are you feeling sorry for her? Or... do you really have feelings for Ebony?"

"You—!" I'd cornered him until he couldn't speak, so he started playing the emotional card.

"Ava, you're clearly so kind. How did you turn so aggressive now?"

"Then I'll be aggressive today!" I said, arms crossed, looking at him, the corner of my mouth curving up slightly.

"Let me put it plainly—if this anger of mine doesn't ease, then this wedding... isn't happening!"

The second I said it, David's expression changed.

"Ava Henson, don't be so willful!" His voice carried an edge of urgency.

"How can you say something like that so carelessly?"

"What's wrong with saying it? She made a mistake—can't she be punished for it?" I lifted my chin.

"Fine, enough talk. Either she goes in for three hours so I can vent, or I call my parents right now and cancel the wedding. Your choice—you decide."

"Ava Henson, you've gone too far!" David's breathing suddenly turned heavy, and he glared at me with bloodshot eyes.

"You really think I'm afraid of you?"

I smiled. "So... you're choosing to break off the engagement, is that it?" I pulled out my phone at once.

"Don't! Don't do anything rash!" Seeing this, David hurried to stop me.

"We've already told all our relatives and friends, we've already paid the hotel deposit. You just say it's off and it's off—how is my family supposed to hold its head up?"

"That's your family's business. What does it have to do with me..." I made as if to dial.

"Besides, this wedding was your Sanchez family marrying up in the first place—"

"Enough!" David roared.

"I don't care anymore!" Then he turned to look at Ebony, huddled off to the side, on the verge of tears.

"Ebony, you really were in the wrong on this... just... just put up with it for now, and let your sister vent..."

Ebony's eyes went round, and tears spilled down at once.

She still wanted to keep milking sympathy, but seeing the coldness in my eyes—

in the end she bit her lip and shuffled into the storeroom door, dragging every step.

Watching Ebony look so pitiful, glancing back at every step,

David was so heartbroken he was nearly in tears, but for the sake of the wedding going off smoothly, he forced his anger down and asked me with a smile that never reached his eyes, "Ava... you should be over it now, right?"

"More or less." I gave a cold laugh.

I hadn't expected David to be so good at putting on an act.

If the rash on the back of my neck weren't so swollen it was almost blistering, I might really have believed him.

I left him with one line—"For the next three hours, you stay here and keep her company. Remember! Three hours, not a minute less! If it's short, don't blame me for turning on you!"—then turned and went back to the villa.

David's malice toward me definitely didn't come out of nowhere.

In the whole year I've been dating him, I never once broke out in a rash.

And the very first time the malice showed itself, it was this strong.

I had to investigate this properly.

Was he being used by Ebony, or had he learned my secret and been putting on an act from the very day he first approached me?