REBORN: MEET MY BROTHERS-Chapter 55: GET OUT OF MY WAY!

Ava sighed softly as she gaped at Matilda. Sure enough, she shouldn’t be surprised by her behavior. She didn’t even know why she was shocked. None of them had informed her of her old man’s accident. And if Fiddlestick hadn’t called, she still would’ve been left in the dark.

"I’m here to see grandfather," she said with a small frown. "I don’t need anyone’s permission to check up on him."

Matilda looked Ava up and down. "Where have you been?!"

Ava pressed her lips into a thin line, fighting the urge to sigh exasperatedly. She knew what was coming next, even if she was afraid of admitting it. Matilda wanted trouble and she needed a reason for it. Saying she stayed at the Moore’s resident was only going to make things harder for her.

"I was with Maximus," she said the first thing that came to her mind.

Hearing Maximus’s name made Matilda angrier than she already was. She glared at Ava. "You were gallivanting with Maximus while your grandfather was fighting for his life?!" she asked sored. "What kind of a person are you?!"

She exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "I don’t even know why I’m standing here talking to you. I don’t want to see you here, do you hear me?!"

Ava’s frown deepened. "I can’t leave without seeing grandfather, mother--"

"Are you talking back, Ava?!" Matilda interrupted rudely, taking a step forward. Her loud voice made Ava pause. "What makes you think you have a right to see him?!"

Ava’s hands clenched into fists by her sides. "I didn’t know he had an accident, mother. If I had known, I would’ve been here."

Matilda’s lips curled into a sneer. "And I don’t need your pathetic excuses! Don’t test my patience, Ava. If you don’t leave, I’ll have security throw you out!" She said firmly and walked back into the room.

Ava’s nails dug into her palm as her temper flared. She should’ve known from the start that Matilda didn’t want her near her old man. Why was what she couldn’t comprehend, but she wasn’t going to let that happen.

As Matilda stepped into the room, Ava stubbornly followed, forcing her way into the room just as Matilda was about to close the door. Startled by the sudden attack, Matilda let go of the door and Ava pushed it wide open. Ava was about to enter the room when she saw Jerome in front of her, blocking her path.

Jerome glared at Ava like he wanted to murder her. "What do you think you’re doing?! You’re assaulting mother now? Have you completely lost your mind?!"

Ava stood still. Her fingers were still clenched to her sides as she tried to control her temper. She inhaled deeply. "I was only--"

"You were only what?!" Noah interrupted as he rose from his seat and matched toward Ava. "Is this some new level of audacity you’ve decided to flaunt?! Who do you think you are to be arrogant in front of us?!"

Ava looked at Noah nonchalantly, as if his words were just noise. Her eyes moved past him, taking in the rest of the family members that sat inside the room. Everyone was here except Gaulin. They were all glaring at her, but nothing stung more than the sight before her. Her heart clenched painfully as her eyes landed on her grandfather.

William lay brutally battered on the bed. His frail body swathed in bloodied bandages that wrapped around his arm and legs. The oxygen mask that covered his face rose and fell weakly. Just like Fiddlestick had said, he was unconscious. At the sight, Ava’s entire body weakened.

How did this happen? This never happened in her previous life. Why were things changing in this life?

Her knees wobbled slightly, and she placed a hand against the doorframe to steady herself. Her breath hitched as tears kissed her bottom lids. "Grandfather," she called out weakly.

Ava was about to take a step toward him when Sasha blocked her way. "Brother Jerome and Noah are reprimanding you for something you did wrong, Ava," Sasha said firmly. "Why are you ignoring them?"

Ava’s jaw tightened as she looked at Sasha. All she wanted to do was slap the girl out of her way, but she was too weak to do that. The thought that her grandfather was lying on that bed, fighting for her life the same way she did almost drove her insane.

"Get out of my way!" She yelled, stunning everybody, especially Sasha who flinched in fear.

Matilda scoffed loudly and she pushed past her sons that stood in front of her. She struck Ava on her cheek, so hard that her head turned. "Why are you raising your voice here?!" She snapped.

"And who do you think you’re raising your voice at?!" Jerome backed his mother.

Ava’s chest heaved as she tried to control herself. She could hear the buzz in her ears, and feel the sting on her cheeks. She dug her nails even more into her palm. "I only want to see grandfather," she said with gritted teeth. "Why are you guys trying to stop me from seeing him?"

Caspian joined them at the door. "Because you’re not a member of this family. Do we have to spell it out for you? You’re not a Whitlock!"

Ava gave him a dirty look. She already knew she wasn’t a part of this family from the start. Eight torturous years already knocked some sense into her. But if being a part of the family meant she could see her grandfather, then for now, she was a part of them.

"What nonsense are you sprouting now, Caspian? For someone who claims to be the best software engineer in all of Lebron City, you’re quite daft," she mocked.

Enraged by her attitude, Jerome pushed her out of the room. "And you’re not?! You claim to be so smart, but are you so dumb that you don’t know that no one wants you here?!"

The loud noise from the argument attracted nurses who walked to their room hurriedly. While they approached them, they were frowning, but when their eyes fell on the familiar family, their expressions softened.

"Mrs. Whitlock," one of the nurses greeted, recognizing Matilda. "Is there a problem?" She asked politely.

Matilda did a slow burn at the girl, enough to make her look to the floor. "Don’t you know how to mind your business or do you want to get fired?!" She snapped.

The girl whimpered softly. "I-i’m so sorry, Mrs. Whitlock," she apologized immediately. "But this is a hospital, ma’am, and the noise is disturbing patients."

The other girl nodded. "And we’ve received complaints as well," she said timidly.

Before Matilda could respond, Sasha came forward. She looked at Ava angrily before pointing to her. "She’s the one disturbing the peace here," she said bitterly. "If you don’t want those complaints to keep coming in, you’d better call security to escort her out."

The nurses exchanged glances as their eyes darted between all of them.

Ava’s cheek still stung from Matilda’s slap, but she straightened herself. "What the hell are you talking about about? You’re the ones causing commotion here by not letting me see grandfather."

Noah laughed bitterly. "What kind of a hospital is this?! How can you guys let just anyone enter the private floor?"

The nurses became confused. They looked at themselves once more with uneasiness, before their eyes fell on Ava. If their bosses were to hear that a stranger entered the private floor and disturbed their VIP patient, they could lose their jobs.

"Excuse me," one of them began, "this floor is strictly for family members and authorized visitors. If there’s any dispute, we’ll have to involve hospital security."

Matilda turned sharply to them. "What are you still waiting for?! Get security, now!" She ordered. "She’s not family. I don’t even know how she got here uninvited, but as you can see, she’s disturbing my Father-in-law."

Ava’s lips curled into a mocking smile despite the stinging pain in her cheek. "I’m not family because you don’t want me to see grandfather? What will you all tell him when he wakes up and--"

"He won’t be waking up anytime soon," Matilda interrupted, making Ava’s brow furrow.

"What are you trying to say--"

"What is she still doing?!" Matilda didn’t let Ava finish. "Get her out of here!"

The elevator chimed and the security men came in almost immediately after Matilda’s order. Apparently, one of the nurses had called them while they were still arguing.

The men reached them in seconds, and Sasha smiled when she saw them. She pointed to Ava again, "She’s the intruder. Take her out!"

The men wasted no time. They went to Ava. "Don’t make us use force, Miss," one of them said sternly.

Ava felt her blood boil as she stared at the men and then at all of them. She took notice of Sasha’s smirk and she felt her anger level rise. Surpressing it, she wrenched her arm free from one of the men’s grip, straightened her posture and walked into the elevator.

Before the guards followed her into the elevator, they both gave Matilda a knowing look.

The door slid shut, leaving Ava alone with the guards. She watched the floor numbers light up as they descended, but when they stopped at the second-to-last floor, Ava frowned.

"This isn’t the lobby," she said sharply, turning to the guards.

They didn’t respond. One stepped out first, motioning for her to follow him. "This way, Miss."

Ava became suspicious as she stepped into the dim hallway. She held her nostrils against the smell of paint and sawdust, and there was a large sign that said it was under renovation. "Why are we here?" Ava asked firmly as she started feeling uneasy.

The guards didn’t answer. Instead, one stepped behind her while the other moved to block her path forward. Before she could react, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, pulling her back.

"Hey!" Ava yelled, struggling to free herself, but her protests were cut short when he placed a cloth on her face.