Chapter 1.

Four years later,

Ellie*

These past years of my life has been the best years of my entire life.

After being raped and discarded by Flynn, I lost all hope that I could ever be redeemed in this lifetime. I closed all doors of love and friendship in my life but Alexander brought me out of the dark, taught me how to be ruthless and merciless in the business world and that is who I am today. That is the woman I am now.

The ruthless and merciless Elisa Evans Lance.

After what Flynn and his family did to me, my goal was to return back to America and make them pay for what they did to me. I didn't care if I have to wreck down their business and status. They must pay for what they did and how they treated me, all doors of risks be damned.

Flynn and his family degraded me,

They treated me like trash,

Flynn betrayed me,

He discarded me,

He ruined my life,

He made me believed that he loved me but he lied to me just to take advantage of my dignity. I would do everything in my power to ruin his life. I will make him regret the day he knew me and even came into my life.

His family would regret the day they ever came to me and brought up the conversation of a child to succeed their son and their stupid wealth.

His mother would regret the day she laid her filthy hands on my Aunt.

"Mommy, mommy." a little voice called out to me, snapping me out of my thoughts. This little voice has been my strength of living for the past four years. She has been my greatest gift from God and nothing could be traded for my little girl, no amount of wealth.

At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to accept her because she was the result of what Flynn did to me. She reminded me of him. Every inch of her resembled him. My little Ava Evans...Robe__Lance.

"Mommy, what did you get for me today at work?" My little baby asked me as I stretched out my arms to carry her. She was a little bit big for her age.

"Honey, I forgot to get you something from work today. I'm so sorry. I was so busy today and I forgot." I replied her even though I know it would hurt her.

"Mommy, that's what you always say, you're always so so busy." she said with a spiteful look on her face. She was already angry with me.

"Baby, please don't be upset with Mommy please, don't worry I'll get you something tomorrow," I promised, trying to cheer her up.

"No, I won't forgive you,"

"Then how can I make it up to you then?"

"You will have to get me an ice cream now."

"Sweetie please, I can't go out now. It's already late!" I pleaded with her.

"Then I won't forgive you!" She screamed and ran off to her bedroom crying.

I was about to go after her when I saw my Aunt Lily emerging out from her own bedroom.

"I told you. You spoil Ava too much," I scolded her.

"What was I supposed to do then? You're always busy, you don't evem have time to take care of your own daughter anymore." She scoffed.

I ignored her and ran after Ava who was already crying her eyes out in her room, the door locked.

"Baby, please open up," I stood in front of her door banging it continuously.

"Go away!"

"Sweetie I'm so sorry, please forgive your mommy." I replied her still banging the door.

For more than three minutes I was standing at Ava's door pleading with her and saying a lot of sweet words that I knew could soften her up. Well as I expected, she opened up, but she was still in tears.

"Oh my baby," I said and scooped her in my arms.

"You promised me!" she cried out.

"Honey, I know... Okay let's do this, why don't we go out now? I'll get you an ice cream now." I said, putting her down on the bed.

"Really mommy?"she asked me, going silent all of a sudden.

"Yes baby,"

"Okay mommy! I love you!" she shrieked excitedly and hugged me.

"I love you too baby."

*******

Few minutes later, I tucked her into my car.

"No, mommy I don't like this car." she tugged my arm, her lips set in a straight line as she searched around, probably looking for the car of her choice.

"Okay, baby make your choice,which car do you want?"

"Umm," she drawled, sucking her thumb as she let her gaze room around the garage.

"I want the ferrani." she said, pointing at the Ferrari car, parked few metres away from the one I had strapped her in.

"Ok baby," I said and went back inside to bring the keys to my Ferrari car out.

I wasn't a lover of cars though but you can say I have quite a good taste of them. I only bought the latest.

There were about ten of them here. No, eleven plus the larboghini I bought earlier this year. I was now very wealthy, very wealthy enough to ruin the Roberts.

I turned on the engine of my car and signaled the security man to open the gate. He opened it and we drove out of the garage, then out of the compound.

Ava was busy admiring the views and beautiful city of Manila.

Manila was were I built up my self, grew up my worth and gave birth to my daughter.

"Mommy look," Ava said to me pointing to some group of kids standing close to a nearby fish store. 

"Ava, I've told you already, never associate yourself with the roadside people."

"But mommy, why? You always told me that God blesses those that blesses the poor,"

"Baby I know, but you see, life doesn't always turn out to the way we expected it to be. And I didn't say the poor, I said roadside people. Standing by the roadside could be very dangerous baby."

"Okay."

"But that doesn't have to stop you from being nice to them though, just don't associate yourself with them okay?"

"Yes mommy."

I pulled off in the driveway, just in front of the ice cream parlor. I moved and unstrapped Ava, then turned around to help her down from the car. She was too excited to come here.

"Be careful, sweetie, You don't want to hurt yourself." I said, planting her down on her feet and straightening her hair back with my fingers.

"But mommy you said, I'm a big girl and big girls down get hurt."

"Who told you that big people don't get hurt?"

"Uncle Xander did."

"Well, don't believe him."

"Why mommy? He told me that people capable of taking care of themselves don't get hurt. And I can take my bath and put on my clothes myself." 

A small laugh escaped my lips. "He's lying baby. And you're not that big, you're only three."

"Soon to be four mommy!" She lifted her hand and started counting her fingers. "Four, you see?"

"Ava, can we go inside now?"

"Okay."

We went inside the parlor and saw all types of ice cream flavors. Ava picked a smudging vanilla flavored cone ice cream, while I picked chocolate, it has always been my favorite. 

"Mommy look! There are so many kids here,"

"Yes baby, do you want to go talk to them?"

"Yes mommy,"

"Okay, go ahead, I'll wait for you here."

"Yes mommy." she replied me and ran off.

I just stood here, watching her as she conversed with a few kids that seemed her age. Watching her like that made a smile form on my face. Ava had done nothing but bring infinite joy to my life, in a way no other person has ever done before. Thank goodness, Flynn's mom never knew that I was pregnant. They would have taken my Ava away from me for sure.

I remembered when I gave birth to her, people would always buy her gifts and presents. They would say she was the cutest baby ever! I was so lucky to have her as my daughter. 

The vibration of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yes Aunt?''

"Where are you? Don't you know it's late already? Taking Ava out by this time of the night, don't you know it's risky? What if someone recognizes her now? What will you do?"

"Aunt please, they won't find us here. No one recognizes us here. And even if anyone does, they can never take my daughter away from me. It will be totally useless for them to even try."

"Okay dear. But just come home now. It's late. It's past nine already."

"Aunt, you know I don't normally have spare times to take my daughter out so please just let me do this. We won't take long, I promise." I spoke into the phone, my eyes never leaving Ava.

"Well okay, If you say so." then the call disconnected.

I called out to Ava and told her that it was time for us to go home now.

"Mommy, meet my new friend Cruzita," Ava introduced a little girl of about five years old with pale green eyes and long red hair.

"Good evening ma'am," the little red-haired girl greeted me with a smile.

I smiled. "How are you?" 

"I'm fine ma'am,"

"Where are your parents?"

"Mommy, they're over there!"Ava chirped in and pointed to a couple talking to a woman miles away.

"Okay, why don't you go ahead and be with your parents? Ava and I are about to go home now. It's getting late, isn't that right sweetie?" I looked down at Ava who suddenly had a frown forming on her flawless face.

"Of course not, mommy, I wanna stay for a little while longer, please?" she said, her eyes pleading and her voice was merely far from clogging into a pile of sobs.

"Ava no, let's go. Cruzita go to your parents, dear." 

Cruzita ran along to meet her parents while I took Ava's hand and tugged her outside, opened the car and slipped her in while fastening on her seatbelt.

"Mommy please! Why are we going home now? It's still early! Look, the stars are just beginning to shine!" 

"Ava no, I've been spoiling you too much now. If you keep on acting like this, I'll make sure you won't come out of the house for two whole weeks. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" 

She didn't say a word rather her sobs started to die down.

When I sure I had tucked her in properly, I started the engine and maneuvered the car onto the road as we drove off home.

******

Anna.