CHAPTER THREE

Ava's POV

Take her to the ER

That voice, it sounded familiar but I'm too weak to open my eyes. All I feel is pain and suffering within my body. 

Tears flowed freely from my eyes. I couldn't do anything. It was too late. I wanted the pain to stop but I wish I could change the hands of time, only then would the mistakes I made be changed.

No, no no, Ava!

The monitor beep continued, and noise filled the room as doctors and nurses ran in and out, but I was already tired of living.

The beep stopped and silence filled my world.

FOUR YEARS LATER

The distant sound of monitors echoed in my ears, and the sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils. I blinked, my eyelids heavy as if weighted by lead. 

Page Doctor Lucas, she's waking up. A voice murmured.

I turned my head slightly, grimacing at the pain that shot through my neck.

Everything hurts!

My legs, my head, my neck, most especially my face. It felt like someone had stitched it with needles.

I blinked again, my vision blurry and the first thing I noticed was a man standing next to me. 

He didn't look like a doctor, not with the kind of beard that could scare people away and he wasn't in scrubs. His hair was curly like a girl's, sleeves folded to his elbows. There was something about him I couldn't fathom.

I tried to speak but my throat was sore from the pain I felt.

“Water,” I rasped, my voice inaudible, my throat burning. He got up quickly, fetched me a glass of water, and lifted it to my lips. I sipped, coughed, and sipped again.

“Do you remember anything? Your name, Family, and the year we are currently in?” He asked in a low but deep voice after I had calmed down.

“I..I, My name is” I took a deep breath, eyes scanning the room.

“Don't be scared, I’m Doctor Lucas.” His jaw relaxed, his gaze on me like he was there to protect me from falling.

“My name is Ava.” I began “This is 2022 and I don't have a family last I remember.” I held my head, flashes of light, tyres screeching, blood beneath me came rushing to my memory and tears welled in my eyes again.

Soon the doctor held my  hand, gently rubbing his palm against mine.

“Breathe Ava, it's been a long time but you’re safe now” a voice whispered. I opened my eyes, and it was the doctor's voice.

I nod my head, and a deep sigh follows.

“Ava,” he took a long pause

“It's 2026”

“2026?” I whispered, my lips trembled

“That..that can't be right.” My chest tightened, my eyes widened, and tears stung in my eyes. They had lived, laughed, and moved on without me. 

“What…what happened to me?” my voice rasped barely audible.

“You have been unconscious for a while, Four years “

My eyes widened

“You were in a car accident four years ago and I happened to be at the scene so I pulled you out. If I were late even for a minute you would have..,”

He couldn't finish his statement.

“I was scared but you fought really hard and to stabilize you we had to put you on life support.”

He sniffed

His eyes welled with tears, something I can describe as a story behind it. 

Rest up, we will take it slow and by the way, welcome back. His face grinned brightly, and he gently covered my body with the sheets. 

Soon his footsteps fade away.

I could hear whispers from the nurses in the room. They either go silent when noticed by me or pretend like they are busy.

“Excuse me, I croaked, voice sounding like sandpaper.”

“Is he really a…she didn't let me finish

“Yes, he is a doctor. One of the best in the city, acts cold sometimes. Some say he was in the military but he's like a god in the OR.”

My lips widened

I was already drawn to him but I don't think I will be interested in men generally, not after what Desmond did to me.

Silence filled the room. 

THE NEXT DAY

I stared into space, my mind reminiscing on the incident that night. They had moved on without justice, I was buried without a body and my name no longer exists. Who am I now? 

Knock, knock

Silence cracked and my breath hitched.

Slowly the door opened. “Ava, someone is here for you”

Desmond? I twisted my hands together 

“Her name is Anna, she said she's family.”

“Family?”

“I don't know Anna.” I whispered

Minutes later, an elderly man walked in alongside a woman in a suit holding a file.

“Brooks? Is that…really you”

He nods his head, and tears hang in his eyes.

“Miss Ava, I'm sorry for being late”

Brooks is my family's Butler who disappeared after the death of my father.

I winced at him, my eyes couldn't miss the woman next to him.

“This is Anna, your father's lawyer and legal adviser.”

My brows narrowed, eyes on Anna and back to Butler Brooks. I swallowed hard, forcing a sound from my throat.

“Butler Brooks, what’s going on?”

Anna leaned forward, handing the file to me. I gasped, pictures of the Parker family dinner, the accident from four years ago, when I was rushed to the hospital.

“We’ve been watching you.” “Your father Mr Nelly Johnson predicted all of this.” She paused, eyes on Brooks, and he nodded showing approval. 

“What do you mean?” “ I could have died.” My voice tightened as my fingers curled into my palms.

“Your father made a hidden clause in his will on one condition.”

“Condition?” My eyes opened

“On the condition that, your inheritance is given to you if you divorce Desmond.”

“What? My eyes widened.

He saw through Desmond. In his words, “That boy is dangerous.” Miss Ava, he knew he was up to no good and he wished you had listened to him. My eyes felt itchy, I looked away, and a deep sigh followed. 

This file shows how much your father cared;

I flipped to the final page. My breath hitched, there were so many zeros, I had to count them twice. I wasn't just a survivor; I was the owner of the empire Desmond had been trying to take.