AUTHOR'S P.O.V
"Mr. L!"
Reed, already en route to their table, turned. One of his representatives approached him. "Mr. L, we hadn't known you'd be attending. Mr. Zhang wishes to meet with you."
"Where is he?" Reed asked.
"Follow me, sir."
Alistair groaned as Reed's back receded into the distance. "Ugh, terrible timing—dammit!"
Ava's heart began racing as she stared at Reed Lanchester's back. His gait and posture seemed eerily familiar, though she hadn't seen his face.
Who was he? Someone connected to her past?
Her head spun.
"Ava, are you okay?" Ariana asked, concern etched on her face.
"No." Ava's faint reply accompanied her swaying.
Alistair caught Ava as she fainted. Gasps and worried glances surrounded them. Alistair carried Ava bridal-style, leading them out.
Reed, seated with the Chinese businessmen, turned just before they disappeared. Lost in thought, he stared.
"Mr. Lanchester?" Mr. Zhang prompted.
Reed turned. "I agree with you, Mr. Zhang..."
∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆
"What happened?" Nicole asked, concern filling her eyes as she caressed Ava's hair. Her voice trembled, revealing the fear she'd felt when Alistair brought an unconscious Ava home.
"She fainted," Ariana replied, her voice laced with worry.
"Why?" Nicole pressed, her gaze scanning Ava's pale face.
Ariana sighed. "I don't know. She just... I knew we shouldn't have attended the event with her being sick." Guilt weighed on her shoulders.
Silence stretched, tension thickening the air like a heavy fog. Alistair watched, perplexed, his eyes darting between Ava and Ariana.
"What's wrong with her?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
Ariana exchanged glances with Nicole. "It's complicated," she whispered, her eyes clouding.
"I can handle it," Alistair, observing in silence, insisted, his tone gentle.
Ariana sighed. "I'll tell you someday... Look, she's waking!" Relief washed over her face.
Ava struggled to open her heavy eyelids, her lashes fluttering. She blinked rapidly, taking in the concerned faces around her bed. Nicole's worried expression, Ariana's tense posture, and Alistair's puzzled gaze swirled together.
"What happened?" Ava questioned, her voice weak.
"Are you okay?" Nicole asked, helping Ava sit up. She fluffed Ava's pillows, her hands shaking slightly.
Nicole offered her a glass of water. Ava took a few sips, the cool liquid soothing her parched throat. She handed the glass back to Nicole, her hand trembling.
"My head feels like it's being repeatedly hit with a club. Other than that, I'm fine."
Ava's attempt at reassurance fell flat as they watched her, the worry etched on their faces evident.
"I'll get painkillers," Ariana offered, already rising from her seat.
"Don't bother; the pain is tolerable." Ava's smile faltered.
Momentary silence settled, punctuated only by the ticking clock.
"What triggered it this time?" Nicole asked, breaking the silence. Her eyes still held the fear she'd felt when she'd seen Ava unconscious.
Ava's thoughts wandered back to the event. The champagne spill had sparked an elusive memory. Reed Lanchester's back flashed before her eyes, intensifying her headache. She shut her eyes, the image seared into her mind.
"The champagne scene... it made me uneasy." Ava's voice barely above a whisper.
Nicole's gaze snapped to Ariana. "What scene?"
Ariana briefed Nicole on the incident, her words hushed.
Alistair, still dressed in his formal attire, turned to Ariana. "May I speak with you for a minute?" His tone low and urgent.
Ariana tensed but nodded and followed him out of the room. Her elegant dress seemed out of place in the midst of their worry.
Nicole turned to Ava, her eyes filled with guilt "I'm sorry I let you attend. I was scared when Alistair brought you home. You were so pale..." Nicole's voice cracked.
Ava's gaze drifted to her own dress, still elegant but rumpled from the evening's events. She hadn't had the chance to change.
"It's okay; I'm glad I went. It was worth it," Ava said, her voice filled with conviction.
Nicole frowned. "Your health wasn't worth it."
Ava smiled, a hint of determination. "Of course not." But Reed Lanchester was—the answer to her unanswered questions.
If everything was going to be alright, there was only one option: meet Reed Lanchester.
