Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 115: Suits and Scars

Monday morning, Aveline drove straight to Prestige Associates from the airport. With a box in her hand, she gently knocked on the door and took a peek inside Scarlett’s office.

"Hello, Ms. Sexy Scarlett." Her voice was soft and teasing.

Unlike every other time, Scarlett’s eyes didn’t widen in surprise but in shock. She panicked at the sight of Aveline.

Aveline: "..."

She was speechless for a moment before asking, "I’m not a ghost." She thought Scarlett was pranking her. "I’m here." She grinned.

Scarlett quickly cooled her nerves. She hugged Aveline, but it was to close the door. "Look at you, all glowing after five days."

Aveline chuckled as she gave her the box. Scarlett opened it as she heard Aveline speak, "I visited a village in Silvamus. They produce silk in such a small house, but its history goes back centuries. The process is complex, and production is expensive. So most of the families have given up. I’m planning to introduce this under the Laurents label."

Scarlett brushed her fingers over the silk scarf and exclaimed, "Oh my god, this is so soft." She picked it up and ran it over her arm. "The threads shine like gold."

"I know, right. It’s the color of silk." She tied it creatively around Scarlett’s neck, "I thought it would look gorgeous and powerful on your suit."

Scarlett looked at her reflection and loved how the not-so-shiny golden scarf complemented her midnight blue blazer.

"Okay, okay, your apology is accepted for leaving me behind for five days." Scarlett accepted the gift. She was so used to Aveline bringing her something or another, keeping her taste in mind.

Aveline chuckled at her dramatics. That’s when she noticed the racks and table were rather empty. The interior of the office was bare except for a few law books scattered about. It was like she didn’t have any work.

Scarlett noticed Aveline’s eyes checking out her office. So she quickly tugged Aveline outside, "Let’s go out and grab some coffee."

But Scarlett failed to distract Aveline, and before Aveline could ask about it, she paused at the sight of Clara Reeve talking to a potential client.

"What is she doing here?" Aveline asked. Clara worked at Ashford Holdings. So it didn’t make sense why she was there.

Feeling gazes on her, Clara glanced at the two friends and her lips curled into a mocking smile.

Aveline asked again, "Red, what’s happening?"

Scarlett’s shock at her appearance, her empty office, and Clara Reeve’s presence in the firm... Aveline turned to Scarlett. It was clear that Damien had a hand behind it. "When were you planning to tell me?" They were in contact with each other.

"I didn’t want to ruin your vacation," Scarlett confessed.

"Was that..." Aveline refrained. She least wanted anybody to be in trouble because of her. And her friend had prioritized her vacation. "Red, will you tell me, or shall I find out by myself?"

"Mrs. Ashford." A sharp, mocking voice floated toward them.

Aveline and Scarlett turned to Clara, and Clara corrected herself, "Oops, you are divorced."

Scarlett rolled her eyes, right to Clara’s face. "My dear, Linnie’s worth skyrocketed after getting rid of your boss." Her voice was venomous.

And Aveline flashed a soft smile to Clara, "Honey, stop gloating. Go and ask your boss. He still wants to marry me." She meant she could still get rid of Clara.

Leaving fuming Clara behind, the two friends walked away.

.....

At a rooftop cafe,

The terrace stretched wide against the morning sky, glass railings catching fragments of sunlight that scattered across the polished concrete floor. The city sprawled below in muted grays and browns, while potted lavender lined the edges.

Aveline was still waiting for Scarlett to speak. Even their coffees had arrived, steam curling lazily from the ceramic cups, but Scarlett kept looking at the entrance, her fingers drumming against the metal table.

"Red..." A gentle breeze swept across the terrace, rustling their hair.

Scarlett turned to Aveline and awkwardly spoke, "Don’t get angry. I didn’t want to tell him, but I could only think of him."

Him?

Aveline opened her lips to say something, but found she had nothing to say. Her eyes shifted toward the entrance when she saw someone enter.

He entered in a crisp, dark, tailored suit, framing his tall physique. The expression on his face matched the way he carried himself, stern and precise, as if he had planned each step he took toward their table. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

Nevertheless, Aveline stood up, her expression calm, "Hey..." She greeted.

Gabriel’s eyes didn’t leave Aveline’s petite face. Though calm, her brows held tension. He wasn’t fool enough to think it was because of his appearance, but for his sister, who was in trouble.

Exchanging a simple shoulder hug, they sat down. The chair creaked softly under his weight. Gabriel’s hand almost reached for Aveline’s cup but smoothly pulled away.

Aveline and Scarlett looked at each other and pretended not to see it.

Then Scarlett didn’t waste time. She quickly placed her mobile on the table and started explaining, "Linnie, Damien acquired the Prestige Law firm on the day you were divorced."

Aveline couldn’t believe he was prepared before they even signed the divorce agreements.

"Not only did all my case files disappear, but most of the cases were taken away on the pretext of internal protocol violations."

She shrugged, "I haven’t violated any rule other than disrespecting Clara Reeve and Damien Ashford. They should be glad I haven’t thrust a knife into their heads." She snorted.

Aveline and Gabriel ignored her remark. Gabriel was quick to understand the legal papers, while Aveline focused on understanding the situation.

"On top of that..." Scarlett swiped her finger on her mobile screen as she continued, "My digital signatures have appeared on some legal clearances and fund transfers that I don’t even know about. These are some screenshots of digital files and..."

She pulled a stack of folded papers from her blazer and placed them on the table, "forged copies."

The papers rustled in the breeze, and Gabriel placed his hand over them to keep them steady.

Gabriel looked at his little sister. He had believed her the day she appeared at his office. She didn’t have to bring him proof. "So you wanted to keep it clean."

Scarlett corrected him, "I wanted it clear." She didn’t want to meet him without doing her homework. She just needed a strategy and trust.

He picked up his bag as he added, "You’re not going back to clear their mess." He placed a file on the table. "You are going to destroy them."

Aveline watched as Scarlett’s eyes widened in surprise. The next moment, Scarlett threw herself on Gabriel, which almost made Aveline choke on her coffee.

Yet Gabriel sat stiffly while Scarlett rained compliments, "I knew it, I knew it. Giselle won’t hire a dimwit. Bro, you are amazing."

By the end of her excitement, Gabriel’s stern voice sounded, "Don’t crease my suit."

Aveline bit her tongue to avoid smiling. No, he didn’t crack a joke. He meant it. He always presented himself flawlessly. Just a small crease on his shirt or suit was enough for him to go and change it.

Nevertheless, Scarlett let go when she wanted to. Her mood lifted as she shrieked, "Linnie, we’ll destroy Damien, the d*ck, together."

Aveline, however, poured cold water over her joy, "Don’t underestimate Damien Ashford." All this could be a mask for his master plan.

"Tsk." Scarlett resisted remarking how pessimistic she had become.

And when she saw her brother not running away but sitting there, she raised her brows at Aveline. When Aveline nodded, Scarlett got up, "I’ll use the restroom," she excused herself.

The sound of her heels clicked against the terrace tiles as she walked away, leaving the two of them in the warm morning sunlight.

Aveline was the first to break the tension, "I’m sorry for involving Red in this mess." She was apologetic but calm.

Gabriel shifted his gaze to her. He watched her for a good few seconds. "You have changed." He said it simply.

The lively, optimistic girl had become a deadly calm and cautious woman, a drastic change.

"And you haven’t." She couldn’t understand how, when he cared about Scarlett, he could still look so detached.

Her words caught him off guard. He nodded, agreeing quietly that he hadn’t changed.

A brief silence lingered between them, broken only by the soft clink of porcelain as Aveline set her cup down. The lavender scent grew stronger as the breeze picked up, carrying with it the distant sounds of the city, car horns, construction, and life continuing far below.

"You have started drinking coffee again." He pointed out, reminding her of her past addiction to coffee, a subtle reminder that they knew much more than the silence around them suggested.

Aveline didn’t feel the need to respond. She was under control, and he didn’t have to know that.

Gabriel leaned back slightly, one hand resting against the table, his expression unreadable. The sun cast sharp shadows across his face, highlighting the strong line of his jaw.

"Don’t worry," he said quietly, his voice smooth, "I didn’t step in for you." He made it clear.

"I know," Aveline replied, voice calm but distant. "You did it for Red. And I respect that."

He gave a small nod. The wind caught the edge of a napkin on their table, and he absently pressed it down. "Still. You could’ve called. Told me how deep you were in."

Aveline finally turned to him and met his eyes. "You lost the right to ask about my choices the day I walked away, and you let me." She had no intention of rewriting old Chapters when her story was finally turning a new page.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t argue.

But then, just as she reached for her cup again, his voice came low and sharp, cutting through the ambient sounds of the terrace like a blade.

"So why didn’t you get out clean? Why let Damien Ashford believe there was still a chance?"

The question hung in the air between them, as heavy as the scent of coffee, as sharp as the sunlight cutting across the rooftop.

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