Chapter 5

"Why do you look so awful?"

Howard lifted his eyelids and glanced at William in the distance, then said, "You come too."

The two were led by Howard into the study.

"What happened to your arm?"

Howard had sharp eyes and noticed the scrape on Ava's arm, which she got yesterday when those two thugs threw her to the ground.

Ava smiled obediently and downplayed it,

"Grandpa, it doesn't hurt."

Howard lifted his eyelids and questioned William beside him,

"You tell me, how did Ava get that injury on her arm?"

William looked at Ava and only then noticed the shocking scrape on her right arm. It looked painful just to look at. Faced with his grandfather's question, he couldn't answer for a moment.

His mind went back to last night, when he was on top of her, making love, and he had gripped her arms tightly. She hadn't made a sound. She really could endure pain.

Howard gave him a harsh scolding,

"You don't even know your wife is injured. What kind of husband are you? If you don't care for your own wife, are you waiting for someone else to do it?"

Ava tried to explain,

"Grandpa, it really doesn't hurt. I just didn't tell him."

Howard snorted,

"You two, when are you going to give me a great-grandchild?"

The air froze for a moment.

William's phone rang, and he left the study with it.

It was James calling,

"Mr. Morgan, we have results on what you asked me to look into. Your wife hasn't been in contact with anyone unusual recently, except for a two-minute phone call with someone named Joseph, and last night she went to a bar to deliver something to Miss Emily Morgan. On her way back, she went to the police station, and later came back to SilkGrove Estates in a police officer's private car."

After saying all this in one breath, James added, "Oh, and that Joseph is a middle school student. After your wife confirmed he wasn't the person she was looking for, she didn't contact him again."

William asked in confusion, "What was she doing at the police station?"

James held his breath, a bit afraid to say. After hesitating, he finally spoke,

"Your wife almost got... sexually assaulted last night."

William's mind exploded like thunder. Thinking back to how strange she acted when she came home yesterday, and those weird clothes from who knows where, his insides churned.

Why didn't this woman tell him anything? When something like this happens, she should have come to him for help right away. Did she think he was just a decoration?

Who dared to touch William's wife? They must have a death wish.

"I want the full details of what happened."

Through the phone, James could feel the towering rage from William's end,

"Mr. Morgan, those two criminals have already been arrested. This even made the news. I'll send you the link on WeChat."

After hanging up, James sent a link.

When Ava came out of the study, William was sitting at one end of the sofa, staring at his phone, his aura cold.

There were several more people in the living room.

She greeted each elder one by one, then sat obediently beside William, taking a cushion to hold in her arms.

After throwing up the whole car ride and then chatting with Grandpa in the study for ages, she was now forcing herself to stay alert and play along with him.

Her mother-in-law, Isabella Taylor, noticed Ava wasn't feeling well, and seeing the red marks below her neck, asked with a smile,

"With Ava in this state, could our family be expecting an addition? You have to take it easy in the first three months."

As soon as she said this, the servants in the house stopped what they were doing, and a dozen pairs of eyes in the room turned toward her simultaneously.

William put away his phone and stared at her intently.

After Ava threw up the whole way, it was natural for people to suspect.

Suddenly becoming the center of attention, Ava awkwardly pressed her lips together and explained with a red face,

"Mom, that's not it. I just got a bit carsick today. I'll be fine after resting a bit."

Isabella didn't hear the answer she was hoping for and was a bit disappointed, but still kindly comforted her.

"It's okay, you're both young, there's no rush to have a baby. If you're not feeling well, go rest in your room. William can call you when it's time to eat."

Ava shook her head,

"It's fine, I'll be okay after sitting for a while."

William looked at her cautious manner and couldn't help asking, "You really don't need to go to your room?"

"No need."

Emily came downstairs and happened to hear the conversation in the living room. She couldn't help but scoff lightly,

"She's useless. Couldn't produce a child in three years. It'd be weird if she could now."

Isabella glared toward the stairs and scolded,

"What kind of way is that to talk? So disrespectful. Come apologize to Ava right now."

Ava ignored Emily's words.

Emily and Sarah were best friends. From the day she married William, she'd never heard a kind word from Emily's mouth.

She'd occasionally defend Sarah with a few words, always picking the nastiest things to say, and was even more unbridled when no one was around.

Ava had long gotten used to it.

At least Isabella protected her. For Isabella's sake, she wouldn't argue with Emily.

Emily was forcibly pulled over to apologize. Expressionless and completely insincere, she said, "Sorry."

Before Ava could respond, William questioned,

"Is this how you learned to apologize from all those years of etiquette training?"

Ava was somewhat surprised. Emily had been verbally disrespectful to her for more than just a day or two, and he had never paid attention before. Today, he was actually taking her side and standing up for her. She wondered what got into him.

Emily had never been afraid of anything since childhood, except her brother.

Looking at William's stern poker face, she finally said sorry to Ava properly and respectfully.

After she finished, William grabbed her by the back of her collar and dragged her toward the storage room, like carrying a little chicken.

Emily was scared and panicked, crying out loudly for help,

"Mom, Mom, he's going to beat me again..."

Isabella looked at Ava and smiled politely, "This child really needs discipline. Only William can control her."

As they were talking, a few screams came from the storage room.

A flash of worry crossed Isabella's eyes, and she asked tentatively,

"Ava, why don't you go check on them?"

Ava didn't want to get involved in their sibling affairs, but since Isabella asked, she had to go take a look. She figured she'd just say a few words for show. William wouldn't really beat his own sister, would he?

When she walked to the storage room door and was about to knock, she heard the conversation inside, and her raised hand slowly lowered.

William: "Is she your servant? You made her deliver things to you late at night?"

Emily: "Isn't it because you gave her so much jewelry? What's wrong with my borrowing one to show off? If you gave those things to Sarah, she wouldn't hesitate to give me anything. Would I need to use her to deliver them?"

The conversation inside went quiet for a few seconds, then William asked again,

"You were at the bar yesterday. Was Sarah there too?"

Emily grew nervous under the interrogation, "No, no. Wasn't she with you yesterday?"

William made a sound through his nose, then warned, "Don't boss Ava around anymore, understand?"

The door opened from the inside. William saw Ava standing dazed outside the door and thought she looked even worse than before.

"You really don't need to go upstairs and rest?"

He asked again.

Ava didn't answer his question and said flatly, "It's time to eat."

Emily came out of the storage room fuming, with a large red spot on her forehead—probably from being flicked. As she passed Ava, she deliberately bumped into her.

Ava stumbled and was about to fall backward when suddenly a hand appeared at her waist and pulled her back. After she steadied herself, she moved away from him as if to avoid suspicion.

William got angry and pulled her back into his arms,

"Why are you avoiding me?"

In case he forgot, Ava reminded him, "Mr. Morgan, we're divorced. We should keep our distance."