Chapter 083

Hailey "Aiden, what is this witch doing with my baby?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear and anxiety. Aiden's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in anger. "How did you get in here, Ava?" he fired at her, his voice low and menacing. Ava sneered, her eyes flashing with malice. "Shut up, already, you two! I'll ask the questions here. Understand that?" she spat, her voice dripping with venom. Her gaze darted to Aiden's mom, who stood frozen in shock. "Now, you," Ava said, her voice cold and calculating. "I have no business with you, so you're going to take this baby and get out of here this minute." Mrs. Alora's eyes widened in alarm as she hesitated, unsure of what to do. I quickly grabbed her arm, my eyes pleading with her to leave. "Please, mom... my baby," I whispered urgently. Mrs. Alora's gaze softened, and she nodded, carefully taking Damien from Ava's arms. As she turned to leave, Ava's voice stopped her. "Phew... okay, now, that's one heavy baby right there." Mrs. Alora's eyes flashed with anger, but she bit back a retort, instead choosing to hurry downstairs with Damien. Ava's gaze turned back to us, her eyes glinting with malice. "You should hire competent guards, you know. These ones you have are trash." She pulled out a gun from behind her, the metal glinting in the light. Aiden's eyes widened in alarm, and he took a step back, his hands raised in a calming gesture. "Ava, what's the meaning of this?" he asked, his voice low and cautious. Ava's smile grew wider, her eyes flashing with triumph. "This means I'm back, full-time, to get what I want, Aiden. I warned you, I told you that you'd regret your actions." I turned to Aiden, my eyes wide with confusion. "What's she talking about?" I whispered. Ava's laughter was like ice. "Oh, darling, you don't have to look so confused. You know it's funny how I played my cards so well that you both didn't even notice." Aiden's face darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. "What are you talking about?" he thundered. Ava's smile grew wider. "You see, Aiden, I actually thought you were smart, but it turns out you're such a dumb ass. And to think I actually wanted to spare your life?" Her eyes glinted with malice. "You know it's so sad how Sandra died. That wasn't the plan, but I guess it's a bonus." Aiden's body boiled with rage, his fists clenched at his sides. "What? You're the reason behind Sandra's death? You killed her?" he thundered, taking a step forward. Ava's gun flashed in the light, the barrel pointing straight at Aiden's head. I gasped in shock, my heart racing with fear. "I didn't kill her, he did," Ava said, her voice cold and detached, gesturing to an iPad with her head. The screen flickered to life, revealing my dad bound to a chair, his mouth taped shut. "Dad!" I yelled in tears, my heart shattering into a million pieces. Ava's smile grew wider. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry, but he's also part of the game." My mind reeled, trying to understand what she meant, but before I could process it, a bullet was fired, and my dad's body slumped forward, lifeless. My world came crashing down, the weight of emotions crushing me. "No!" I yelled in agony, my voice echoing through the room. Ava's gun flashed again, the barrel pointing at me. "Shut the fuck up!" she thundered, making me whimper, stifling my sobs. Ava's eyes met mine, her gaze cold and calculating. "You really thought you were so strong, didn't you?" she fired, her voice dripping with venom. "I watched you whip Sandra's ass the other day, trying to be Ms. Superhero. But you're not so super now, are you? Bitch" she thundered, her voice laced with malice. Ava's eyes sparkled with malice as she continued to taunt us. "Both your families are so stupid, especially when I heard about Charlotte and her mother." My brow furrowed, wondering how she knew my stepsister and mom. "Oh, darling, you didn't think I did all these by myself, now did you?" Ava replied, her grin growing wider. She yelled out, "You can come out now, baby!" and Evans emerged from nowhere, a sheepish grin plastered on his face. My eyes widened in shock. "Evans?!" I exclaimed, my voice barely above a whisper. Aiden's face darkened, his eyes blazing with anger. "You!" he thundered. Ava's laughter was like ice. "Oh, please, we both gave you a chance, but you just chose to be stupid. Even you, Hailey, after that visit to the prison and what he told you, you still chose to be stupid and stuck with Aiden." My face burned with anger. "Evans, how could you?!" I thundered. Ava's eyes flashed with warning. "Nope, that's not how things are going to be done here, young lady. I alone do the talking. Even though I'd desperately like to blow your head off, just like my dad taught me, you're not my meal, Aiden is." She moved closer to Aiden, her eyes gleaming with obsession. "You see, Aiden, I've always loved you ever since I stepped foot into your company. But because of Sandra, you barely even looked at me." Ava's voice dripped with venom. "And just when I eliminated that bitch out of the way, you brought a new bitch in who was even pregnant. How could you?!" She slapped Aiden's cheek, her hand leaving a red mark. Aiden's face remained still, his eyes blazing with anger. Ava's hands trailed down Aiden's chest, sparking a wave of jealousy within me. "You can do with me what you wish, but leave Hailey out of this," Aiden said, his teeth clenched. Ava's laughter was menacing. "Oh, I will, darling. Like I said, she's Evans' good to eat, and you're mine." Aiden spat, "Fuck you!" but Ava just laughed, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Oh, yes, baby, we'll be doing that soon." I felt a wave of nausea wash over me, my mind reeling with the implications of Ava's words. Had she really slept with Evans? The thought made my skin crawl. I yelled, desperation creeping into my voice. "Why are you doing this, Ava? Aiden has been nothing but a good boss to you!!" Ava's expression remained icy, her eyes glinting with malice. "True, that's true," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "But this family caused me great pain the day your father murdered my father, and right now I'll make sure I do the same to yours." My eyes widened in horror as Ava ordered, "Do it!" again. The iPad screen flickered to life, revealing Aiden's dad slumping down to the ground, lifeless in a pool of his own blood. Aiden's face crumpled, tears streaming down his cheeks as he stumbled backward. For the first time, I saw him cry, his body shaking with sobs. Without thinking, Aiden pounced on Ava, fighting to get her gun. The hallway descended into pandemonium, gunshots echoing off the walls as we battled for survival. Aiden's guards, fueled by loyalty and determination, fought valiantly, taking down Ava's men one by one. Despite being outnumbered, they refused to yield, protecting their boss with every ounce of strength they possessed. My gaze frantically scanned the chaos, searching for familiar faces. That's when I spotted James and Jude, their faces set in fierce determination as they fought their way through Ava's men. They were a force to be reckoned with, taking down anyone who dared to stand in their way. For a fleeting moment I wondered where they'd been before the invasion. Aiden, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of fury, his fists flying as he took down Ava's men with precision and skill. His eyes blazed with a fierce intensity, his jaw clenched in determination. He was a man on a mission, driven by a desire to protect those he cared about. As the battle raged on, I found myself caught in the crossfire, bullets whizzing past my head. I ducked and weaved, desperate to avoid getting hit. My heart pounded in my chest, my senses on high alert as I struggled to stay alive, but that didn't last for long. I grabbed the nearest object I could use as a weapon, joining Aiden in the fight. Aiden took on Evans, while I faced off against Ava. Ava's eyes blazed with fury, her pupils constricting into tiny dots as we clashed. Our hands were locked in a fierce struggle, our fingers intertwined like vines. I gritted my teeth, determined to overpower her, but Ava was a force to be reckoned with. She was too strong, too relentless. "If I die, you're going down with me!" Ava spat, her teeth clenched in a snarl. Her breath was hot against my face, her eyes blazing with a fierce intensity. "How about you try to die first, bitch!" I shot back, my voice low and venomous. But before I could react, Ava's hands closed around my hair, her fingers digging deep into my scalp. I screamed in agony, my eyes watering from the pain. Ava's grip was like a vice, her fingers twisting and pulling my hair with a vicious intensity. I felt a wave of panic wash over me, my heart racing with fear. We stumbled backward, our fight spilling down the stairs. Ava's grip on my hands tightened, but I managed to break free. As Ava lost her balance, she fell down the stairs, her head hitting the hard marble tiles with a sickening crunch. She lay there, her body motionless in a pool of her own blood. But just before she hit the ground, Ava pulled out a gun and fired in my direction. I felt a searing pain in my stomach, my body numbing as I stumbled backward. As I closed my eyes, surrendering to the darkness, I saw Aiden and Evans's bodies fall lifeless to the ground. Then, everything went black.