REBORN: MEET MY BROTHERS-Chapter 65: MAD DOGS

Ava stepped out of the black Bentley outside the Whitlock’s mansion. Unfortunately, Maximus couldn’t give her a lift since something urgent that needed his attention came up, but he made sure Ethan personally drove her back home to ensure her safety.

On entering the living room, Ava was about to go upstairs when she saw Matilda descending the stairs. Matilda frowned on seeing Ava but her frown got replaced with something unsettling when her eyes moved to her injured hand.

Taking a deep breath, "Mother," Ava greeted with gritted teeth. Calling Matilda by that title after finding out everything she’d done irked her beyond measure. "You’re home."

Matilda gave her a side eye as she got to the foot of the stairs. "You practically don’t live here anymore. You stay out every night as you please. Why not just park and leave, let’s know you’re gone for good?"

The disdain in her voice made Ava smile bitterly. All these while, she’d seen the signs, she’d seen how much Matilda hated her from the way she treated her, but just what had she done to deserve this level of hatred that her mother could go through any means just to make her suffer?

Ava swallowed her anger. "I am sorry, Mother." Her apology shocked Matilda. "I promise not to repeat this."

Matilda looked at Ava skeptically. She’d expected the girl to throw tantrums like she normally did given how she was thrown out of the hospital yesterday and not allowed to see her grandfather. Did abduction transform her?

"It’s good you know you’re at fault," she said dryly. Her eyes flickered to Ava’s hand once more, and she suddenly felt uneasy, the same way she felt when she found out Maximus rescued Ava from the hospital yesterday.

"What happened to your hand?"

Ava stared at her hand, and then at Matilda. She suddenly knew where Sasha got her terrible acting skills from. "I injured myself yesterday."

"I’m not blind, Ava. I can tell you injured yourself. What I’m asking is how you obtained the injury. Do you no longer know how to comprehend questions?"

Ava stared at her blankly, contemplating whether or not to tell her the truth. Since she was feigning ignorance and acting stupid, she decided to treat her like one. "I got into trouble at the hospital. Thankfully, Maximus came at the right time." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

For weird reasons, Matilda tensed at the mention of Maximus. She was positive Ava had told Maximus about everything that happened there. Even if she made sure she destroyed every evidence of her involvement, seeing Maximus’s men move around the hospital building relentlessly still made her uneasy.

Ava noticed her tension and smiled. "He managed to save me from the mad dogs that chased me out of the hospital."

Matilda furrowed. "Mad dogs?"

"Yeah," she nodded vehemently. "The funny thing is, there were two females and three male ones. They were trying to keep me away from someone precious."

"And these mad dogs were in the hospital?" Matilda asked confused, wondering why the men made no mention of something like this.

Ava nodded with a smile. "I thought I lost them but... I ran into one of them today."

Matilda frowned as she realized what was going on. Ava was making a fool of her and she’d stupidly fallen for it. "What is the meaning of this?! Are you making a fool of me?"

"No, mother," Ava denied innocently. "I know what I’m saying is unbelievable but I would never try to make a fool out of you."

"How can mad dogs chase you inside the hospital?!"

"Did I say inside the hospital?" Ava feigned ignorance. "That was a slip of the tongue. I meant outside the hospital, Mother."

Matilda eyed her grudgingly.

Ava wanted to laugh, but she held herself. "I fell while trying to get away from them, but thankfully, Maximus came in time to help me before I was bitten. I dislocated my wrist from the fall. The doctor said I’ll heal with time... in three weeks max."

Confusion only grew within Matilda as she wondered why Ava was trying to hide the truth from her. Did Maximus ask her to? Or was she suspecting her? She had to find out.

"That’s it?"

Ava nodded.

She wanted to question more but held herself back. Ava was a very smart girl. If she showed too much interest, it’ll only raise suspicions.

"It’s good you managed to get out of that alive," she said blandly before walking out of the room.

Ava watched her disappear with a frown.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ava was the only one at home. Every other person in the mansion had things that required going outside to do. She wasn’t an exception but with everything that happened at the hospital yesterday, she’d decided to take a day off. She needed this at least.

She was sitting with a bowl of popcorn in the living room, scrolling through different channels on the television when Fiddlestick walked into the room.

"Miss Ava, you have a visitor."

Ava frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone.

Noticing her new expression, Fiddlestick informed: "Mr. Moore is here for you."

Ava dropped the popcorn immediately and stood to her feet. "Where is he?" With everything that happened yesterday, she’d forgotten Dustin waited for her at the parking lot yesterday after giving her a lift to the hospital.

He must have been so worried when she didn’t return and since her phone was snatched by those men, there was no way to communicate with him.

"He’s outside the manor." Fiddlestick followed Ava who immediately walked outside. "Forgive me for not letting him inside, Miss Ava. I thought he was being deceitful when he said he was here for you, given the relationship between both families. It’s unbelievable a Moore would show up at the manor twice, in two consecutive days."

"What do you mean, Fiddlestick?"

"The same Moore was here yesterday looking for you while you were away."

Ava: "..."

She increased her pace.

Fiddlestick paused, contemplating his next words, but he said it anyway. "I don’t mean to pry in your life, Miss Ava, but if the Lady, your father, or your brothers were to hear of this-"

"No one’s telling them about it," she cut him off immediately. "Right, Fiddlestick?"

He hesitated but nodded reluctantly. "Of course, Miss Ava."

"Thank you."

The moment Dustin set his eyes on Ava, he ran to her and hugged her tightly.

Fiddlestick cleared his throat at the sight. Giving Dustin a side eye, "I’m only a call away, Miss Ava." Ava nodded and he took his leave.

Excited, Ava turned back to Dustin. "Where in God’s name have you been, Ava? I’ve been searching everywhere for you since yesterday. You’re not hurt, right?" He examined her carefully, turning her to different angles to make sure she wasn’t, but when his eyes fell on her bandaged hand, his eyes darkened. "What happened?"

Ava pouted, thinking of how much to reveal. Telling him her mother was an evil person who planned for her to be kidnapped inside a hospital wasn’t an option.

This place wasn’t the best for accusing the lady of the house without concrete evidence. It’ll just land her in bigger trouble if this gets to anyone in the mansion. Plus, she didn’t know how Dustin would process the whole information.

"I’m sorry, Dustin. I lost my phone yesterday in the hospital. And nothing peculiar happened-"

"Don’t give me that, Ava. I didn’t see you leave and when I went to your grandfather’s room, you weren’t there as well. I thought maybe I was being paranoid and I’d missed your departure, so I drove here, but you weren’t here as well. A day later, you magically appear with an injured hand, and you tell me nothing peculiar happened?"

Ava stared at him guiltily. She wanted to tell him everything, but she couldn’t. At least, not while they were here."I’m sorry for worrying you, Dustin. I can only imagine how worked up you must’ve been because of me, but I never intended for any of that to happen."

Dustin sighed softly. He knew Ava was holding back for reasons best known to her, but he decided not to push. The most important thing was she was safe. He gave her shoulders a light squeeze. "I’m happy you’re safe, but next time, a call would be nice."

Ava nodded eagerly. She apologized again after another hug and invited him into the house, but Dustin politely declined.

After everything that happened yesterday, coming to this place was a huge risk on his end, but for Ava, he could take a bullet as long as she was safe.

He bid his farewell after he was positive his little sister was okay. Since yesterday, nobody in the entire Moore household has had any rest. They were too occupied worrying about Ava. Since Ava was okay, he decided to return home to rest.

At the same time Dustin walked back to his car, a black Chevrolet pulled up to the front of the mansion.

Gaulin was very angry as he stepped out of his car.