Chapter 123: Guilty Conscience

Avery's breath caught in her throat as a bodyguard presents the green diamond ring. Evan recognizes it as the one Avery claimed that her mother left for her. She strides over to take it from Evan's hand, but he acts quickly and wraps his fist around it. Avery touches his hand, but the ring is safely hidden from her.

"Can't wait to get hold of the ring?" Evan asks.

He has been observing her cool, organized demeanor for the last few hours, but all of that seemed to shatter when she saw the ring. Avery bites her lip and tensed her shoulders. She's furious with herself for losing her cool and revealing how much she cares about the ring. She knows that Evan has no idea it's Charles' and she also knows he hates deception and betrayal. If he learns she deceived him about the ring, he will take it as a huge betrayal.

She takes a deep breath and musters up the courage to face the consequences. She's ashamed of her behavior. Even though they've signed a divorce agreement, she's still Evan's wife. It's inappropriate for her to accept a ring from another man. She doesn't try to stop Evan from examining the ring, and she doesn't make excuses. Instead, she squares her shoulders and waits to see what will happen.

"Avery told me her mother left this for her when she died," Evan says to Anthony, "Is that true?"

Anthony squints as if he can't see the ring. He takes a step closer and shakes his head instantly.

"I've never seen it before in my life," he says.

"It's not from her mother!" Janetta says, seizing her opportunity and wriggling away from the bodyguards, "That ring is a Meyers' family heirloom."

Evan ignores her struggle and continues to examine the ring.

"Charles Meyer is the rightful owner," Vanessa chimes in, "It's called Love for Life if I'm not wrong."

"Yes," Janetta continues, "It's for Charles' future wife. But I heard that Avery has had it all along."

Janetta knows she doesn't have to explicitly state that Avery has cheated on Evan—the mere implication is enough for a man as jealous and possessive as Evan Howel. She looks almost gleeful as if she's already forgotten that her life was in danger. Avery frowns severely.

"For Charles's wife?" he repeats.

He can't believe that Avery is going to such lengths to divorce him just so she can marry Charles. The pain of it seems to stab his heart. Evan's tall figure slightly shakes and he smiles a horrible, sinister smile.

"She's lost the chance to marry him," he thinks, almost deranged with jealousy, "Charles has vanished from this world. I won't take this seriously if it involves a dead man.".

Avery is used to Evan's fierce temper, and she's shocked that he's taking this news in silence. This realization startles Avery. She can't help feeling fearful and doubtful and wondering why Evan is acting so uncharacteristically calm. She can't believe that this is the same man as the one who sent a photo of their kiss to Charles or ordered his guards to peel the skin off Rupert's thigh.

Suddenly a horrible thought barges into Avery's mind, but she shakes her head quickly to dispel it.

"No!" she thinks, "Nothing could have happened to Charles. Evan's possessiveness is strong and demonic, but he wouldn't kill a man. Wait. Am I defending Evan or am I just too scared of the emotional wreckage if something happened to Charles because of me?"

In a daze, Avery watches Evan put the ring in his pocket. Then he orders the guards to throw Janetta in the estuary. Janetta assumed that the ring would make up for, or at least distract from, her misdeed. Much to her surprise, the ring didn't even seem to faze Evan.

"Give me back the ring!" Avery says, shakily.

She hasn't forgotten her plans to return the ring to Charles.

"What?" Evan glowers at her, "You want to wear it knowing it's Charles's?"

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"I don't want to wear it," Avery replies, "I simply want to give it back to whoever owns it."

"Whoever owns it," Evan slowly and emotionlessly says, "I'll send it back to Charles's house."

Avery knows it's dangerous to continue arguing. Reluctantly, she presses her lips together and falls quiet. She suddenly feels a soft warmth on her finger. Evan has taken her hand, and he gently kisses her ring finger.

"I owe you one wedding ring," he whispers.

Avery can't believe that he would think about that now. She snatches her hand back coldly.

"That's not necessary," she says, "Besides, I'd have to give it back to you in six months anyway."

She thinks about the ring he casually gave to Leonie as a gift and her blood runs cold. She wonders if he thinks he can buy her with a trinket like that. Evan inhales sharply.

"Does Avery enjoy pissing me off?" he thinks, "I thought all women loved diamonds. If it weren't for the fact that Leonie somehow has the Peerless Love ring, it would already be on Avery's finger.

"Sir," Robert rushes in, out of breath, "There is no sign of Andrew."

"Do I need to tell you to keep looking?" Evan snaps.

He's furious that Andrew somehow eluded him, and he can feel Avery's disdain and dissatisfaction. Avery forces a chilly smile. She knows that Evan's men are incompetent—it was only his powerful obsession with her that drove them to find her when she ran away.

"What are you smiling at?" Evan asks, "Don't give me that look."

"I'm tired," Avery says quietly, "I want to get some sleep."

He stares into her eyes, trying to see her soul, but he only sees his own reflection in the dark pupils. She seems distant, far out of his reach, almost intangible. In the green gown, she looks like an ethereal spirit, fading away.

"I'll bring Gabrielle back in one piece," he vows.

"I'm really curious what right you had to let Andrew take Gabrielle away," Avery says, "How do you sleep with a guilty conscience?"

"I told you I'd bring Gabrielle back," Evan says, his voice deep and gloomy, "What are you worried about?"

"Then why don't you do it already?" Avery snaps, "You gave her to Andrew and it's all your fault. Why don't you go find her yourself?"

"I want to rest," Evan sighs, "Leave me alone."

The bedroom on the third floor is the biggest one in Peters' house. The interior design is in the vintage European style. Hand-sewn lace decorates a bed big enough for four people. Avery lies on the bed, but she can't go to sleep.

She tries to reassure herself that Andrew wouldn't do anything to Gabrielle after his major operation, but she has her doubts. On top of that, it annoys her that Evan left Gabrielle to a strange man so casually and without finding out the truth. Gabrielle is her sister, but that doesn't give Evan the right to throw her away. She ponders his abnormal possessiveness with displeasure and rage.

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