REBORN: MEET MY BROTHERS-Chapter 43: MARRIAGE PROPOSAL II

Gaulin was propped against the headboard, flipping through his tablet absentmindedly when Matilda stepped out of the bathroom. Her long shower seemed to have washed away some of her frustration, and for the first time this evening, the frown that was on her face was gone.

He sighed in relief. He couldn’t stand it when she was upset, but lately, her mood had been as unpredictable as the weather. She crossed the room and sat beside him on the bed.

"How do you feel now?" He reached for her hand, giving it a slight squeeze.

She smiled helplessly at him. "Better," she admitted, "But that doesn’t change anything that happened at the party."

Gaulin sighed, lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a tender kiss to her knuckles. "I’m sorry you had to endure all that," he murmured guiltily.

Matilda shook her head. "It’s not your fault, honey. It’s all your daughter’s fault."

Gaulin arched an eyebrow as he smiled ruefully, "Our daughter," he corrected gently, leaning back into the headboard.

"Only by blood," she shot back, rolling her eyes. "Ava takes nothing from us. That girl is stubborn, disrespectful, and always looking for new ways to humiliate us in public. Since she came into our lives, I can’t remember the last time we had a peaceful day."

Matilda remembered how embarrassed she felt in front of the Quinn’s, and she frowned once more.

"I’ve tried, Gaulin," she continued, huffing in exasperation. "I’ve tried to be understanding. We weren’t in her life when she was growing up, and I feel guilty about that every day. But that doesn’t give her the right to treat us like we’re nothing. Can you believe she knew who Evelyn and Maximus were all along and still let us make fools of ourselves in front of them? Her own family!"

Gaulin tried to keep his face neutral, but he couldn’t deny the annoyance that started building in his chest. His wife was right. Ava intentionally made a fool of them all at the party.

"And why can’t she be more like Sasha?" Matilda pressed on, folding her arms across her chest. "Sasha is calm, respectful, and endearing. She takes after us, and she’s everything a Whitlock should be. Ava, on the other hand..." Her voice trailed off, and she shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder if she’s even really one of us."

Gaulin exhaled sharply, hating the frustration that was beginning to form on his wife’s face once more. He reached out, and ran a soothing hand down her arm.

"I don’t agree with Ava’s behavior," he said evenly. "But don’t forget that Ava wasn’t raised by you. She was raised by peasants who lacked manners."

Matilda folded her arms tighter. This was the only thing she was grateful for. "You’re right. She wasn’t raised by me. And thank God for that. I won’t take responsibility for the way she turned out."

She took a deep breath to calm herself. This wasn’t the time to get mad, but rather, it was the time to think rationally. "But honey," she continued, "We can’t let her marry Mr. Quinn"

Gaulin’s brows knitted in confusion. "What are you saying?"

Matilda nodded. "You heard me. We can’t allow Ava to be the one to bring the Quinn family into ours. She’ll ruin it."

Gaulin blinked as he became even more confused. He didn’t understand why Matilda was still against Ava’s marriage to Maximus when she knew who he was. "Matilda, you know how important the Quinns are. A union between our families would be monumental-"

"Exactly!" She cut in sharply. "That’s my point. With her attitude, if Ava is the one connecting us to them, she’ll sabotage everything. She’ll do it just to spite us. She’s already proven she doesn’t care about this family’s reputation."

Gaulin rubbed a hand over his face. His wife wasn’t wrong. If Ava gets married to Maximus, things may not turn out in their favor since she disliked them. But how was he supposed to turn everything in their favor?

"How do we stop it? How do we even keep this relationship with both families if Ava doesn’t get married to Maximus?"

"Sasha is perfect for him," she said immediately. "She’s everything the Quinns would want in a daughter-in-law. She knows how to carry herself, how to charm people, and most importantly, she respects this family. Sasha can secure our future."

Gaulin leaned back against the headboard. Everything about what Matilda made sense to him. The only thing that didn’t make sense was how they were going to replace Sasha with Ava. "Maximus chose Ava. He doesn’t strike me as a man who changes his mind easily."

Matilda already had everything planned out, including this. She only needed her husband’s approval. "Then we send a marriage proposal to the Quinn’s without stating the daughter Maximus would be getting married to. Once the contract is signed, there will be no going back."

Gaulin’s brows folded as he considered her words.

"Think about it, honey," Matilda pressed, sensing his hesitation. "This is our chance to secure everything we’ve worked for. We can’t let Ava destroy it."

Gaulin sighed, staring at the ceiling. "I’ll think about it," he finally said.

Matilda smiled, feeling satisfied. "Good. I know you’ll make the right decision."

.

.

Inhaling and exhaling softly, Ava stirred against the soft mattress under her. Her body felt surprisingly heavy, and a dull throb pulsed in her head, making her wince faintly.

A muffled sound escaped her lips as her lashes slowly fluttered open, and her eyes adjusted to the dim light around her. She looked around the room which wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, yet it wasn’t her own.

The dark photo on the wall caught her attention. She’d seen this piece before and it was hard to forget. Her heart skipped as realization hit her.

Maximus’s room.

But... why was she here?

Letting out a shaky breath, Ava slowly pushed herself upright, and the plush covers slipped from her shoulders. Then, she stopped dead. Her body tensed, and every ounce of grogginess disappeared as her eyes landed on a figure sitting directly across from her.

Maximus.