Semua Bab The Godfather’s Favorite: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Ava’s PerspectiveThe deputy did not answer me.That alone made my nerves tighten.I looked past him and immediately spotted Alexander’s car parked outside. The sight of it made my guess feel obvious. If the car was here, then he had to be inside. I stepped toward the entrance without thinking further, only for the deputy to move sideways and block my path with one arm.“You can’t go in,” he said.I stopped short and stared at him. “What do you mean I can’t go in?”His face did not change. “You can’t go in.”I frowned harder. “Since when is that a rule?”He did not reply.That only made me more confused. Before this, no one had ever stopped me like this. I had gone in and out often enough, sometimes to find Alexander, sometimes to deliver something, sometimes simply because I could. No one had ever stood in front of me and said I was not allowed.So why now?For one dangerous second, I considered forcing my way past him anyway. But the expression on his face told me that would get me n

Ava’s Perspective“Why are you grabbing me?” I asked, keeping my tone strictly businesslike. “I still need to go back and train.”Alexander paused, his fingers still around my wrist.I looked down once at his hand, then back at him. “If there’s nothing else,” I said politely, “I’ll be leaving now.”I shifted as if to stand, but the moment I moved, Alexander reached out again, more hurriedly this time.“Wait,” he said. “Wait a minute. Ava, you’re my subordinate. If I want to talk to you, can’t I?”That made me stop.“Of course, Boss,” I replied. I sat back down properly, folded my hands in my lap, and lowered my eyes just enough to be respectful. “Please go ahead. I’m listening.”For some reason, that seemed to make him more annoyed rather than less.He frowned, his brows drawing together as if he were trying to force a thought into words and failing. “Just now,” he said, irritation slipping into his voice, “what you saw just now—didn’t you see it?”I blinked. “I did.”He looked at me e

Ava’s PerspectiveI stared at him.Alexander looked back at me, pale from whatever had been done to him, yet somehow still managing to look overbearing.“What are you looking at?” he said. “It’s your fault. If you hadn’t made me angry, would I have fainted?”I stared at him blankly. “?”His eyes narrowed. “Don’t stand there pretending you don’t understand.”“???”That only made his expression darken further.I turned halfway toward the door, but his gaze stayed on me so heavily that it felt almost like a hand. In the end, I came back, dropped into the chair beside him, and crossed my arms.He looked me over once. “Your attitude is terrible.”I let out a disbelieving breath. “How am I being disrespectful now?”“When I was shot before, you stayed by my side and took care of me,” he said. “Now I’ve been poisoned, and not only are you not concerned, you were about to walk away.”I blinked.He looked irritated, but there was something else under it too, something harder to name and harder t

Alexander’s PerspectiveI had not expected her to come at me like that.A moment earlier, I had still been annoyed—at her, at Sam, at the fact that she had gone to another man instead of coming to me first. Then she noticed me, and something in her changed so quickly and openly that it caught me off guard.Before I could make sense of it, she was already closing the distance between us, all warmth and easy familiarity, as if she had forgotten there were other people watching.Then she slipped her arm through mine and pulled herself close, as though she had every right to do it. For one absurd second, all I could think about was the warmth of her against my sleeve.Sam straightened at once and greeted me properly.Ava ignored that entirely. She tipped her face up toward mine, bright-eyed and sweet, and sighed as if she had found me terribly difficult.“Why are you making that cold face again?” she asked. “Brother, with a face like yours, you should smile more. Do you know how unfair it

Ava’s PerspectiveThe moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them.Alexander looked up.That was all. No immediate answer, just one slow, steady look that made me feel as though I had kicked open a door I had no right to touch.My courage failed at once.“I’m not asking anymore,” I said quickly. “Forget I said anything. I just remembered there’s something else I need to do.”I rose so fast the chair almost scraped. It was a ridiculous excuse, but running away still felt wiser than waiting for a response I was afraid to hear. If he rejected me now, if he made it clear I had misunderstood everything, I did not know how I was supposed to stand there and bear it.“Stand there,” Alexander said.I froze.His voice was not loud, but it still landed like a command against my spine. I did not dare turn immediately. My heart had already started beating too hard, and I could feel the heat climbing the back of my neck.Then, behind me, his voice came again.“That’s true.”For a second, I thou