On This Side of Paradise: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance

cHAPTER fIVE

Ava gazed up at her soon to be ex-husband. The person standing in front of her was not the boy who had once made a collection of every perfect shell he had found for her. This was a man. A man with a hard cynical mouth with a curious light in his brilliant blue eyes. The lankiness was gone; replaced by a hard physique which showed that this was a man who was accustomed to physical labor. That didn't take away anything from his handsomeness, if anything, the sharp features made him look more dangerous, more attractive. He had always been strong willed, but now it emanated from him like a heat wave. That, and hostility.

Despite herself, Ava shivered a little. Dangerous! That was exactly how her mother had described him on her first meeting. Ironically, it was not a word that Ava had ever associated with Erico when she had married him. Then, it had been passionate, cute, and head over heels in love with her. But now, dangerous is definitely the most apt word to describe him.

His gaze shifted to her companion. The penny had dropped with Siddhartha by this time and he had stood up. Their small table was suddenly suffused by intense male aggression. The arm her fiancé had around her shoulders tightened and Ava was suddenly pulled closer to him. Erico's eyes narrowed, but then his gaze shifted to her once again.

"I see you are enjoying yourself." The accented voice drawled. Once, that deeply sensuous voice had serenaded her with beautiful and haunting melodies, in love, in passion, and now they taunted her. "Do leave a feedback when you leave. We aim to please." Spinning on his heels, he abruptly left.

But for Siddhartha's tight hold, she would have fallen as Ava sagged in relief at Erico's departure. Just a couple of minutes with Erico had been enough to remind her how aggressive and hostile he could be in a situation he disliked. Ava had never really learned to deal with such intensity.

Siddhartha soothed gentle hands on hers. His handsome, good natured face creased with worry.

"If you want, we can go home."

Ava took restorative gulps of air. She stammered, "No, no. I am alright. We don't have to leave just yet."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Well then, you won't mind if I go and smash in that bastard's face, do you?"

Ava looked up at her fiancée's fierce expression in surprise. She has never seen Siddhartha so worked up.

"That was Erico Ferreira, wasn't it? Your ex?"

She nodded mutely.

"How dare he force himself on you like that? And look at him now, he sends in his pet lawyer on our engagement party, talking piously about bigamy, when he is openly flaunting his own infidelity." He bit out. "Who the hell does he think he is? And what the hell is he doing here? Does he work here or something?" Siddhartha left the table and was soon lost in the crowd.

That was Siddhartha for you. That quickly, the aggression had gone out and practicalities won. Now he is going to start making enquiries about Erico.

That is a good thing, isn't it? No more Latin drama and emotional roller coaster rides. She was marrying a level headed, practical, down to earth guy who was always going to be there to support her.

Trying hard to block out what Siddhartha said about Erico's infidelity, she couldn't help but look around in the direction of her husband's departure. There he was! Siddhartha was right.

The same woman she had seen outside her lawyer's office this afternoon was draped around Erico. The man himself was lounging against a table with a glass of wine in his left hand, the right around the woman's waist. He was laughing about something his companions were saying.

Like a train wreck, Ava couldn't look away. A strange feeling started deep in the pit of her stomach. How unfair. While Erico was able to laugh and walk around with his lover, clearly enjoying his life, she was still counting her every step, watching every word she said, worried sick about the future, all the while the burden of her failed marriage like a lead inside her, weighing her every waking thought.

Clearly, he was also doing better financially. Once, his staple uniform had been jeans and much worn faded t-shirts, but now he was clad in an elegant suit, with that expensive watch on his wrist. Getting rid of his wife had clearly suited him. And suited him well.

Suddenly, Ava felt very bitter. The whole scene was like a nightmare for her. Life was not fair. No, it wasn't. Bile rose and she leapt up from her seat. She lived the consequences of her foolishness every day, doesn't mean she had to see it with her own eyes too!

Murmuring a polite goodbye to her colleague, she went in search for Siddhartha. She found him at the far corner, talking animatedly to another guy. He took one look at her and hurried to her side.

"Let's go."