Zayed had already cancelled further appointments of the and left the cafe where he was meeting with his friends, when the news that Aveline had met up with Brianna hit him like a torpedo and almost blown him out of the water.
Where had that come from?
How had that happened?
What had he done to deserve that outcome?
Leaving the cafe, Ava was blank-eyed, her mind in chaos and emotions raging through her in horribly distressing waves.
She didn't know where she was going but she knew she couldn't return to the hotel in such a state, nor would she involve the
triplets when she was so upset.
Ava was brought out of her raging emotions when the car came to a sudden halt in the middle of the road.
She looked out to see Zayrd coming out of another car.
"Max, take us to my apartment" Zayed instructed his bodyguard/driver as soon as he settled into the car next to her.
So he has an apartment here in US and he has housed her and the triplets in a hotel room?
Why should that surprise her after all that she discovered in the past two days.
****
As they entered the penthouse apartment Ava looked around the grandeur in amazement.
She would have loved a tour of the place if her life weren't at stake.
"So? This is where you and Brianna-"
Zayed froze in front of her as though though she had said a very bad word, his face clenching hard, sensual mouth compressing.
"No" he said so vehemently, she almost flinched at his tone.
Ava could feel the waves of tension radiating off his body.
Let him suffer a bit, she thought.
Zayed poured a glass of water and handed it to Ava.
She settled on the sofa sipping on the water, looking bored.
What the hell has come over her, Zayed wondered.
"Why did you go and see Brianna?" he demanded heavily.
"What the hell possessed you to do such a thing?" He asked, feeling so shaken
Her brow indented. "She asked me to come and see her."
His lean powerful face set granite hard at
that claim. "She asked ... you?"
Ava lifted her chin. "Yes and I was curious"
Zayed cursed under his breath.
Why hadn't he seen this coming??
"Why did you bring me here?" Ava asked
"If we're going to argue, if there's going to be dissension between us, I didn't want the children as an audience" Zayed admitted flatly, features grave.
Ava laughed aloud at that statement.
"You think I would argue against signing these divorce papers??" Ava asked removing those wretched papers from her handbag.
Zayed froze
"How did you?" he trailed off
"You left it at my home, Zayed. Did you think I wouldn't find this??" Ava asked, her voice shrill.
"Aveline, it's not what you think" Zayed tried to reason.
"Really?? Are you telling me that these divorce papers aren't a result of you rekindling your relationship with your ex girlfriend??" Ava asked
"Rekindling??" Zayed asked in dismay
"Oh your ex told me that you have been 'shagging' her every chance you got. Her
words exactly "
Zayed cursed furiously.
"That's not how it is Aveline" Zayed tried to defend himself.
"Really?? So tell me, Zayed. Did you or did you not drew up the divorce papers after Brianna came back??"
"But that's-"
"Yes or no?" Ava demanded
"Yes, but-"
"Were you or were you not with Brianna for the past four weekends" came the next question
"But that's not how you- "
"Yes or no?"
"Yes" Zayed said, pressing his fingers on the forehead.
"The number saved in your phone as B. That's Brianna? Not Basim! Yes??" Ava asked again
"I can explain-"
"Yes or no?"
"Yes" Zayed breathed out reluctantly
"There. I have the answers to all my questions" Ava said, picking up a pen and signing the divorce papers without a second thought.
Zayed froze.
"Did you. Did you just sign it??" Zayed asked, stunned at the way things are unfolding.
"Yes. You just saw it, didn't you??" Ava asked sarcastically
"How could you so easily sign it, Aveline?" Zayed asked in horror
"As easily as you drew it up" Ava replied, without missing a beat.
"But I didn't want you to sign it" Zayed said and Ava laughed.
"So? Is this some power game, Zayed? To show that you always have the upper
hand. That you could always divorce me whenever you want" Ava asked mockingly
"I wanted you to choose me. I wanted you to stay with me because that's what you want. Not because you dont have a choice" Zayed said, breathing heavily.
"And why the hell would I do that? Give me one reason" she asked, walking towards the main door.
"Nothing is enough, right Aveline? My apologies, my love. Nothing is enough. You are never going to forgive me, right??" Zayed asked and Ava stopped dead on her tracks.
How dare he say that to her?
How dare he??
She turned around and if looks could kill Zayed would be six feet under the ground by now.
"What apology?? What love?? As far as I remember you never apologised and there never was a declaration of love" Ava seethed and the look on his face was comical.
As if he never realized.
If Ava wasn't so angry, she would have laughed at the comical look on his face.
"Aveline, habibti" Zayed stepped forwards with his hands raised as if to embrace her.
Ava stepped back hastily.
"Stay right there. Don't ont you dare touch me" Ava yelled at him furiously.
Zayed raised his hands in surrender.
"Now talk" Ava said, crossing her arms across her chest.
"How could you think that I dont love you, Aveline?" Zayed asked in frustration
"Maybe because you never said" Ava said mockingly
"I did everything in my power to keep you with me. And you think that's not love??" Zayed asked in disbelief
"You did everything in your power to keep the triplets. And as per the pre nuptials I signed, I had to stay" Ava reminded him.
"Those papers were invalid Aveline. You signed them when you were hardly eighteen and you didn't have a solicitor of your own. They never had a chance in the court. That was my desperate attempt to keep you and the children with me." Zayed said and Ava looked at him in disbelief.
"What about Brianna?"