REBORN: MEET MY BROTHERS-Chapter 34: WHERE’D YOU GET THIS?

Maximus sat calmly on the sofa as he watched his little wife’s expression grow from nonchalant to shock. Ava’s brows slightly folded. He could immediately read her thoughts. She was wondering why he was here.

"Ava," Gaulin called out coldly, distracting her from Maximus. "Who is this man? And why is he claiming to be your fiance?!"

Ava’s heart skipped a beat before sinking into the pit of her stomach. He told them? Her gaze snapped to Maximus, who sat there unbothered as if he owned the entire room. His face was calm, too calm for someone who was glared at by everyone in the room.

Ava’s mouth opened, but no words came out. How was she supposed to explain this without turning the situation into an even bigger disaster? She turned back to Maximus. "What are you doing here, Maximus?" she asked quietly.

Maximus leaned back on the couch, resting one of his arm on its edge. "I came to check up on you," he said smoothly, "Imagine my surprise when I learned you hadn’t informed your family about us. I figured it was time to make things... official."

Her family exchanged glances as their eyes darted between Ava and Maximus.

"So it’s true. You’re engaged to this... guy," Jerome scowled mockingly.

Caspian leaned forward. "Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise us anymore, you go and pull this. What’s next, Ava? Announcing you’ve joined the circus?"

Sasha’s lips curled into a pout. She crossed her arms, leaning against the chair as her eyes lingered on Maximus. She vividly remembered the moment she saw him outside their mansion when he wasn’t allowed to enter since he was a stranger that showed up from nowhere -- tall, striking, and exuding an effortless confidence that had caught her off guard.

She’d been momentarily captivated by his smooth charm and piercing blue eyes since she laid her eyes on him. His deep voice had carried a warmth that felt strangely inviting, and for a fleeting second, she had imagined a scenario where he was here for her.

But now? Maximus was inexplicably tied to Ava, of all people. Sasha’s stomach churned with frustration. She couldn’t explain how someone like Ava was able to score someone as handsome as Maximus, and it infuriated her. Even Nathan Campbell, her ridiculously good-looking boyfriend, paled in comparison to Maximus. It didn’t sit right. It couldn’t be right.

"The worst of it all is that she has so little respect for us that she couldn’t even inform her family of her engagement with... whoever this is," Noah complained. "If he didn’t show up, I’m pretty sure she’d have gotten married and we still wouldn’t know."

At the mention of marriage, Sasha frowned. Now that she was no longer drooling mindlessly over Maximus, she could finally register his familiar face. He was the stranger from their school that took Ava away.

She barely saw his face that day, but she couldn’t forget the silver hair. An idea came to her, and she leaned into Matilda’s ears. "Mother, this is the same man that took Ava away from school," she said innocently, deepening Matilda’s frown.

Maximus’s sharp gaze flickered to Sasha. Her heart skipped as she noticed his eyes on her, but she tried to cover her nervousness with a frown. Ignoring her, "Allow me apologize for Ava’s discretion concerning our engagement," Maximus said firmly. "It’s all my fault. I asked her not to say anything until I could meet you all in person. I wanted to do this the proper way."

The way he defended Ava made Sasha angry, including Matilda. Matilda folded her arms, frowning. "Was it proper when you whisked Ava away from school without so much as a phone call to her family?"

Gaulin’s newspaper landed on the coffee table with a loud thud. "Is this the bastard?!"

"Yes, honey. Apparently, this is the same man Ava slept at his place the other night," Matilda explained distastefully.

"He’s probably one of those men who thinks they can get the Whitlock’s favor by getting involved with one of the daughters, preferably marriage," Sasha said sored. There was no other reason she could think of as to why Maximus was engaged to Ava. She refused to believe he was attracted to her.

Everyone frowned at Sasha’s words, especially her brothers. They already hated the fact that Ava was involved in their family, and now, she was bringing another gold digger into their home.

"How pathetic can you be, Ava?!" Jerome scowled. "You no longer respect us that you drag this thing into this house?!"

Gaulin stood to his feet. "I don’t care who you think you are," he said, glaring at Maximus. "You’re not marrying into this family. That’s the end of it."

Sasha smiled when she heard what Gaulin said, but as Maximus stood to his feet, everyone kept quiet.

"With all due respect, Mr. Whitlock, I didn’t come here to ask for your approval. I came here to claim what’s already mine, so save me your petty squabbles," he said coldly, stunning everyone, including Ava.

Maximus was furious. Not entirely because of the way he was spoken to, but because of the way his little wife was spoken to. With that said, he didn’t stop to see their reactions. He simply turned away, and only stopped when he stood in front of Ava. Giving her a look Ava knew too well, she followed him as he walked away.

After they left the living room, Maximus walked side by side with Ava who led him out of the house. None of them had uttered a word since they left her family, but that didn’t stop Maximus from stealing glances at Ava who was too quiet for someone who like to throw tantrums at everything he did.

As they got to the exit, Ava stopped abruptly, forcing Maximus to stop as well. "I’m sorry, Maximus," she apologized, stunning him. Maximus had expected a completely different reaction from his little wife, but an apology certainly wasn’t part of it. "I’m sorry for the way they treated you."

Ava didn’t look at him as she apologized. She was too ashamed of her family’s behavior to. They knew nothing about him, yet they treated him like trash, and Ava knew if she wasn’t associated with him, Maximus would never be treated the way he was.

Her head was slightly bowed, until Maximus lifted her chin, so she was looking at his face. "You don’t have to apologize, little one." He studied her face, and was about to pick up her hands when his eyes fell on the injury on her arm.

"Where’d you get this?!" He raged.