REBORN: MEET MY BROTHERS-Chapter 52: THE OLD WOMAN

Ava woke up unusually early, before the sun had risen. After the whole incident last night, she couldn’t sleep much, didn’t have to, not when she’d come to realize that she’d been doing the whole revenge thing all wrong.

Yes, she was going to make her family pay for everything they’d done to her and stop it from happening in this life, but the Whitlocks shouldn’t take anymore from her.

Ava made her way downstairs for breakfast, finishing quickly before any of her family members appeared. Today was the orientation for the fair, and Ava wasn’t about to let anyone ruin her good mood, so she decided to leave the house earlier than usual.

She left the dining room, only to come face-to-face with Sasha, who was just walking in. On seeing Ava, Sasha’s eyes narrowed. "Why are you up so early?" She asked suspiciously.

Ava smiled faintly. "What do you think? It’s the fair’s orientation today. I plan to be there very early."

Sasha was confused. How could Ava be participating? She was certain she’d blocked her registration. Unless... no, Liam couldn’t have helped her. That wasn’t possible.

After she was thrown out yesterday, she’d called Jerome immediately and he got to find out the Moore’s held some power in the fair from their investments, so he invested a little more to make her family the top one.

On her request, her brother specifically requested the registration ended just like she’d made Mateo do, with threats that he would pull all his investments if it wasn’t granted. She was sure Ava couldn’t register.

"You’re really stupid, Ava," Sasha snickered, "What are you even going to do at the fair? Stand in the background and watch people succeed at things you’ll never accomplish?"

Ava’s smile widened. "Why would I do that when I’m a participant? Oh, wait," she said, tilting her head as if just realizing something. "You didn’t know I registered yesterday? That’s... unfortunate." She clicked her tongue, shaking her head slowly. "And you call me the stupid one."

Sasha’s face turned red with rage, but Ava didn’t stick around to enjoy the aftermath. She turned and walked away.

By 8:00 AM, Ava was at her destination. Knowing she’d arrived a little too early, she decided to kill time at a nearby café. She ordered a coffee, pulled out her laptop, and dove into her business proposal.

The fair’s selection process was no joke and it had three criterias--the registration, the orientation, and finally, the selection phase where your business proposal is submitted and goes through a screening process.

So far, Ava had not worked on her business proposal, and it was due the next day. She took a big sip of her coffee before she continued working with her system.

Hours passed in a blur. By the time she looked at the clock, it was 11:47 AM, and she’d consumed five cups of coffee. This was an old habit she picked up from working overtime in her past life, one she couldn’t seem to let go of. She sighed as she tore herself away from her chair after packing up her things.

The fair was going to start by 12. If she wanted to be on time, she had to start leaving.

When Ava walked into the building, a lot of participants had already arrived and the building was bubbling with different people, most of which were headed in the same direction--the large conference hall.

She took a seat inside the hall and just before the orientation began, Sasha and Chloe took the seats directly in front of her.

Ava rolled her eyes but said nothing. For two long hours, she listened attentively, ignoring Sasha’s occasional dramatic whispers meant to annoy her. As soon as the session ended, Ava slipped out before her anyone could catch up to her.

She stepped into the crisp afternoon air, feeling lighter than she had in days. She wanted peace—just one day without bickering or getting involved with any member of the Whitlocks’, especially Sasha. And for once, it seemed like the universe was on her side.

A sleek car rolled up in front of her. Ava stiffened at first—this wasn’t one of the family’s cars. Her suspicion melted when the tinted glass rolled down, and she saw Dustin behind the wheels. She was speechless.

Dustin greeted her with a casual smile. "Get in, Ava," he said warmly.

She returned his smile, a soft one, before sliding into the passenger seat without hesitation. The faint smell of leather and cologne greeted her as she shut the door.

As Dustin drove off, Ava stole a glance at him. "How did you know where to find me?" Ava asked politely, happy that he was here.

Dustin maintained his smile even if he kept his eyes on the road. "I was on my way to a restaurant to grab lunch and happened to spot you as I drove by," he said smoothly. That was a half-truth since he drove here on purpose to see his little sister.

Ava arched her brow by the sheer coincidence. If there’s anything she’d found out in this life, is that nothing was ever a coincidence. "Hmm. What are the odds?"

Dustin chuckled, throwing her a quick sidelong glance. Ava was sharper than most, and her instincts were good as well. Did she find out? "Maybe fate just wanted us to cross paths. Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who overthinks harmless coincidences."

"I don’t believe in coincidences."

Dustin’s smile faded slowly. "Well, maybe it wasn’t fate," he admitted, "Maybe I drove here to see you. Liam told me about what happened yesterday and I wanted to make sure you’re okay."

Her heart warmed. "What happened yesterday was nothing."

"Is that a frequent thing?"

Ava sighed softly as she looked ahead. "You don’t have to worry about me, Dustin. I can take care of myself."

Already getting the answer he sought, Dustin’s grip tightened on the wheels. When he found out about what happened yesterday, he was so pissed that he wanted Mateo arrested but the man was nowhere to be found.

He only discovered this morning that Maximus’s people had taken him, and knowing what a Quinn was capable of, he was glad Ava had someone like him who also cared for her.

He wanted Ava to open up to him, but he couldn’t rush these things. In time, she’ll come around, he thought.

"I’m sure you can," Dustin said lightly, eliciting a smile from Ava.

As Dustin approached a right turn, the quietness in the car was interrupted by the sudden ring of his phone. Without taking his hands off the wheel, Dustin tapped a button on the dashboard to answer. The call connected, and Liam’s voice echoed through the car’s speakers.

"Dustin, we can’t find her!" He said urgently.

Dustin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Grandma is missing! Rose forgot to put her tracker on this morning, and now nobody knows where she is!"

Dustin’s jaw clenched, and he slammed his palm against the wheel. Ava flinched with widened eyes, but stayed quiet. "Is Jordan aware?" He demanded.

"I called him already. He’s on his way," Liam replied breathlessly.

"Good. Get a search party together immediately. I’ll be there soon." Without waiting for a response, Dustin ended the call and yanked the wheel, veering toward a sharp left turn.

The abrupt maneuver jolted the car, and Ava let out a startled yelp, gripping the door handle. Dustin cursed under his breath, realizing his mistake, and immediately eased his foot off the accelerator.

"I’m sorry, Ava," he said quickly. There was guilt in his eyes as he spared her a glance.

Ava’s heart raced, but she steadied herself with a deep breath. "It’s okay," she said softly. Then, with genuine concern, she asked, "Is she...?"

Dustin nodded grimly, understanding her unfinished question. "She has dementia," he admitted worriedly.

Ava straightened in her seat. "Then don’t hold back. Drive. She could be in serious danger."

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before pressing down on the gas pedal. This was the first time his grandmother had gone missing since her diagnosis. They’d always been cautious, placing her on a 24/7 watch, but no one can be too careful so they also put a tracker on her.

Thanks to her caretaker who forgot to place her tracker on her after her bath this morning, his grandmother was now missing.

If anything were to happen to her... He trailed off as they pulled up to the front of their estate.

The whole place was busy. While some workers patrolled the streets that was occupied by only them, others searched in nearby places.

Jordan and Liam helped in searching and when they saw Dustin pull up, they approached his car. They were shocked to see Ava with him, but they had no time to welcome her properly.

Reading the room, Ava was the least bothered by the nonchalant reception. Instead, she decided to help in the search.

She took a long walk around the estate and finally stumbled upon a beautiful garden. Sitting by the fountain was a beautiful old woman who looked at Ava like she’d seen a ghost the moment she noticed her.

Ava wasn’t bothered by the way she was stared at. If anything, she was happy she’d found the old lady. But her happiness vanished the moment the woman called out to her.

"M Mabel?!" The old woman stammered with tears in her eyes. "How?!"