The CEO Gets What He Wants novel Chapter 51

“It'll be better if we never appear in front of each other again. Not only does getting angry affect one's health, but it also causes one to age quicker,” Avery said. Every word she uttered was like a slap in Milana's face. Then, she turned to walk away.

Suddenly, Milana's expression shifted. Swallowing her pride, she grabbed Avery's arm with both hands and pleaded, “Don't go... It's all my fault. I'm sorry. It doesn't matter if you want to strike or admonish me, as long as it makes you happy.”

Avery looked back and gazed at her stepsister.

Milana's hand slowly slid down Avery's arm until she held the latter's hand instead. Looking all innocent, she said, “Ery, you know I was deprived of a father's love since I was little. That's why I was jealous that you have a father. From the moment I stepped into your home, I never got along with you because you led a much happier life than I did. But that was all immature behavior on my part when I was a child. I'm begging you. Please believe me. I never wanted to steal your boyfriend...”

However, Avery already knew of the tricks Milana had up her sleeves ever since she was a little girl.

Avery did not need to turn around to know that someone was behind her, and she knew Milana's painstaking efforts in putting on an act were for the benefit of that person.

Milana continued holding Avery's hand, refusing to let go. Then, she raised her other hand as if she were taking an oath. “Ery, I've really never slept with Zayne. We only stayed together once when we were abroad. That was because I had nowhere to go and had no choice but to stay in his room for one night. It had nothing to do with him. I was the one who insisted on sleeping over at his place. I swear on my honor that he slept on the bed that night while I slept on the floor, and absolutely nothing happened between us.”

Avery shook off her hand forcefully. “Oh, stop enacting a monodrama.”

“I r-really didn't think you hated me so much...” Milana's voice suddenly hitched as she spoke. When she finally met Avery's gaze with an innocent expression in her eyes, she burst into sobs.

Milana's tears rolling down her cheeks in an unbroken stream made for an inexplicably moving sight.

Anyone who saw it would probably assume Avery was the bully, taking her for a narrow-minded girl who could not accept the addition of an older sister due to her father's marriage to his second wife.

Knowing that Zayne had to be standing not far behind her, Avery mused mockingly, “It doesn't matter whether you stayed together or if anything happened between the two of you. Whatever it is, I'm not interested. Why have you come to tell me all this in tears? Do you feel aggrieved? Or is it because you regret seducing him because he's impotent, so you're here to return him like how you'd return damaged goods?”

Milana's eyes still glistened with tears as she widened them. She gazed up at Avery helplessly like a delicate white flower, but inwardly, she clenched her jaw in anger. Avery Rumpley, how dare you behave so arrogantly in front of me? ”What a joke! Is Zayne nothing to you but a pair of worn-out shoes you no longer want? Why don't you take a good look at yourself in the mirror before you utter such remarks? I'm afraid there won't be a single man in the world who'd be willing to be with a dull and shriveled woman like you!” Milana countered.

“That's enough.” Striding over to Milana, Zayne grabbed her wrist and led her away.

Meanwhile, Avery stood unmoving.

“Zayne, you're hurting me...” Milana whined as she struggled to free her wrist from his large hand.

Nonetheless, he did not let go. As Milana continued crying out in pain, she looked back at Avery, who was left behind on her own, and her lips curved into a smug smile.

“Head home by yourself. Let's not talk about the baby today. We'll talk tomorrow.” Zayne released Milana's wrist and lit a cigarette irritably. Then, he climbed into his car and started the engine.

Milana's eyes grew wide as saucers as she watched Zayne leave, and she nearly broke down in tears.

Zayne drove away, took out his wallet to pay for the parking, and left the parking lot.

He rested one arm on the car's windowsill as he drove along the street, gloomily mulling over every sentence Avery and Milana had uttered earlier. What did Avery say? Me? Impotent? Also, that metaphor about the worn-out shoes makes my blood boil! Just you wait. Let's see which one of us is the pair of worn-out shoes!

“That b*tch!” He yanked the steering wheel abruptly to make a sharp turn at the next intersection and flung the cigarette he was holding out the car window.

Meanwhile, Milana took in her surroundings after getting abandoned in the parking lot. Her eyes, still wet with tears, twitched in anger when she noticed someone observing her. She muttered under her breath, “Avery Rumpley, everything you have will be mine in the end. I'll use any means to get everything I want. You deserve neither a house nor a husband!”

Over at a pharmacy, Cayden had just bought four boxes of medicine according to the prescription provided earlier by the community hospital.

He could not help thinking about how it was his first time buying medicine for a woman.

But by the time he walked out and scanned the street for Avery, he realized she had disappeared.

Later that night at the Moore residence, Zachary was still awake, his small figure sitting on the black leather couch.

Rory sat slumped on the other end, hugging a teddy bear. “Zach, aren't we going up to bed yet...” she asked sleepily.

“If you're sleepy, you can go to bed first. I'll wait by myself.” Although Zachary was also on the verge of nodding off, he forced himself to keep his eyes open.

He was determined to wait for Cayden to return so he could talk to the latter before going to sleep.

As soon as Rory heard Zayne say that he wanted to wait, she suddenly felt she should take a leaf out of his book. I need to toughen up a little instead of feeling sleepy so easily. Uncle Kendrick said someday, Daddy will marry someone, and we'll have a stepmother. Zach and I just want to know where our mother is now. Did she go to heaven, or is she hiding somewhere because she doesn't want us anymore...

Hence, the young siblings continued to wait.

However, a child's energy was limited, and they dozed off before it was even ten o'clock. Rory was even drooling as she sucked on her thumb.

When Allie woke up and came downstairs to see the children fast asleep, she quickly called for the nanny in a low voice, instructing the latter to carry them upstairs gently.

The two little ones stirred when they were picked up, but fortunately, they did not wake.

Although Cayden did not stay out all night, he returned very late. He went to Rory's and Zachary's rooms to check on them before washing up and preparing for bed.

He climbed into bed and fell asleep for two hours but woke up after a bout of tossing and turning. The bedroom was pitch black, and the night felt quiet and endless.

As he turned over, a soft cry rang out in the room.

His head pounded from a headache as he propped himself up into a half-sitting position and lowered his eyes to gaze at Zachary, who had somehow appeared in his bed.

“Daddy, Uncle Kendrick said that this condition is insomnia caused by loneliness...”

Cayden raised his eyebrows, then lay back down with his hands behind his head. Closing his eyes, he asked, “How would a little kid know what that means?”

“I do! That's why I came here to sleep with you. We'll sleep together. You won't have trouble sleeping if you don't feel lonely.” As Zachary spoke, he inched closer to his cold and aloof father and added in a wheedling tone, “Daddy, I want to ask you something...”

Cayden murmured an assent in a rare display of patience.

“Daddy... Rory and I... Is our mother still alive?” Zachary asked carefully. Ever since he learned of his mother's existence after he was a little older, he knew that it was a taboo subject.

“Yes,” Cayden answered softly after some time, seeming to be in a daze.

When Zachary heard that, his eyes flew open as if he had just seen a ghost. What? Our mother is still alive!