"Happy New Year, Avery," Elliot said as he lifted his hand to wipe the tears off of Avery's face.Avery took a big step back away from him."I'm leaving, Elliot," she said coldly.Before Elliot could react, Avery had already taken the diamond ring off her finger."I can't accept this," Avery said as she shoved the ring into the pocket of his jacket."I love you, but I can't do this anymore."Avery lifted her head as tears trickled down her cheeks."You have photos of that woman on your computer and on your phone. I'm sure you have her in your heart, as well. I admit that you're good to me, but you love her more. I won't force you to explain yourself, nor will I make you give her up… Because I know that it would all be a waste of time," Avery said."We're done!"This was not up for discussion.Avery was informing Elliot of her decision.Elliot was frozen in place, and his eyes were filled with disbelief.Everything was going fine before this.Avery was cooking for him every
A week later, Avery appeared at the sales office of the Starry River Villa in Avonsville. Escorted by a salesperson, Avery walked to the display area to look at the villa models.The salesperson noticed her youthful face, then asked, "Which type of property are you interested in, Miss? We have detached villas, townhouses, and semi-detached properties.""Do you still have any detached villas available?" Avery inquired.The salesperson's eyes lit up at her words, then said, "We do! There's one left, and the square footage is pretty big. It's over three thousand square feet… The price is also much higher than the townhouses and semi-detached houses, so—""Can we move in right away if I make full payment now?"The salesperson nodded enthusiastically and said, "Of course! All of our villas are lavishly renovated and come fully furnished. All you need is your own belongings.""Alright. How much is it?""Four and a half million dollars. It's pretty steep, but it's the last detached vil
"Avery, I'm going to get some groceries. Get some rest if you're tired," Laura said.Avery opened up their suitcases and took out their belongings one by one."Be careful out there, Mom. I'm not tired, so I'll start unpacking our stuff.""Okay, I'll head out now."Once Laura was gone, the house instantly fell into a calm silence.Avery quickly finished unpacking, then got up and checked on the kids.Layla was still fast asleep while Hayden lay next to her with his eyes shut.When Avery left the room, she sighed as a hint of sadness washed over her face.Hayden was a healthy child, but he was different from other kids.He was a quiet boy that refused to speak to strangers.He was already four years old, but he had never gone to school.Avery had taken him for countless physical examinations.Every single checkup came out normal, with the exception of his cerebral cortex being much more developed than the average person.Hayden's problem was psychological.However, even the
Layla's eyes widened as she gazed at Cole's photo on the laptop screen."Whoa! Our dad's so good-looking!"Hayden shut the laptop, then thought to himself, 'So what if he's good-looking? A spineless freeloader isn't worthy of our mom!'"When can we go see Daddy? Do you think he'd be happy when he finds out about us?"The only concept that Layla had about their father was a pure one, as Avery had never once spoken ill of him in front of them. Every time Layla asked Avery who their father was, Avery would always patiently answer, "You don't have a father."Hayden climbed back into bed, lay down, and stared at the ceiling."He won't," he answered bluntly.Layla was upset."Why not? It's not like we want his money. I just want to spend some time with him!""Go to sleep.""I can't sleep," Layla huffed. "I want Dad."Hayden was disappointed in their so-called father, which put him in a bad mood."Shut up," he snapped impatiently.Layla immediately quieted down.She could feel
The phone rang for a while before someone answered."Hi, Uncle Fred. This is Avery Tate. Do you remember me?""Avery Tate? Of course, I remember you! Our company wouldn't have gone under if it weren't for you! How dare you call me? Did you lose all of your money abroad and want to borrow some from me? Let me tell you right now that you won't get a penny from me!"Avery remained calm despite the hostility coming from the other end of the line."That's not why I'm calling. I was just wondering if you have plans to switch companies.""Switch companies? Are you a headhunter now?""I'm planning on rebuilding Tate Industries. If possible, I'd like to bring back the old staff. If all of you are willing to come back, I can double your current salaries."Fred Dover's jaw dropped!"Are you interested?" Avery asked.Fred took a deep breath, then said, "Did you hit the jackpot? Do you know how much doubling everyone's salary would come up to?""I can afford it," Avery responded."If you
The black Rolls-Royce slowed down as it approached the school's iron gates and waited for them to open.Avery instinctively picked Hayden up in her arms and turned the other way.Soon after, the Rolls-Royce sped off in a flash.Hayden watched as the black luxury sedan drove off into the distance, then glanced at his mother's anxious expression.He had a feeling that she knew the person in that car.He had never seen his mother afraid of anyone, and her fear at this moment piqued his interest. Once Avery and Hayden walked into the school, a representative from the academy took them on a tour of the grounds.Angela Special Needs Academy truly lived up to its reputation as Avonsville's top special needs school.Not only was the campus an impressive sight, everything from the instructors to the facilities was world-class.Even though the fees were high, Avery was very satisfied with the place.She pulled her son aside and said, "Would you like to give this school a try, Hayden?
Avery did not want to see Elliot at all.The Rolls-Royce she saw at the school that morning was not the same one from four years ago.He would not be driving the same car for four years, after all. However, the driver was the same one as before.What was Elliot doing at a special needs school?Could it be that he was an investor at the academy?Even so, it was unlikely that he would bother to check in on the school's operations.After all, the Sterling Group alone was enough to keep him busy.Chad noticed Elliot's somber expression at lunch, so he tried to cheer him up."Sir, Professor Hough might have a long list of students, but I'm sure we'll be able to find who we're looking for in no time.""Avery's back," Elliot stated.His voice was bleak and dull.It sounded completely void of emotion, but it also had a deep undercurrent that was rich with feeling. Chad was stunned, then snapped back to reality and asked, "Did she contact you?""No, but she will soon," Elliot sa
Avery received a call from Fred at two in the afternoon."They want to meet us to discuss the purchase of the property, Avery. When will be a good time for you? Also, do you have proof of assets ready? The building is worth at least eighty million dollars at the current market price." Fred's words took Avery by surprise."Didn't Tate Tower sell for half that amount back then?""It did, but it's prime real estate in a great location. With the rise in property prices in the past couple of years, of course, its price would increase.""I see. I'm busy today. Let's meet them tomorrow!""Got it. I'll arrange it with them now."Avery had promised to meet Tammy that afternoon.The two best friends had kept in touch throughout the years.They did not talk much, but their friendship remained strong.Tammy walked into the restaurant she had agreed to meet Avery with a bouquet of red roses.When the best friends spotted each other, they ran into each other's arms."You took your time