Chapter 125
After a moment of silence, Avery softened her voice. "Jaden, these are just my guesses. I have no evidence to support them, so I can’t make any conclusions. Even if Zilvia left intentionally, she might have been deceived. Maybe she met someone online or elsewhere, and they made certain promises that convinced her to willingly go along with their plans."
"You’re right," Jaden said, covering his eyes with his hand, a bitter smile on his face. "No matter how smart she is, she’s still just a kid. It’s very likely she was fooled." He paused slightly and then added, "Avery, promise me one thing." He lowered his hand from his eyes and looked at her. "If one day you’re sure your analysis is correct, please make sure to tell me. But don’t tell anyone else in the family."
Avery wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how. She could only whisper, "Okay."
Jaden took his hand off his face. "Avery, I’d like to have a drink. Is that okay? I promise I won’t get drunk, and I definitely won’t act like a fool."
"Drink as much as you want," Avery replied gently. "I have a hangover remedy that works instantly, so I’m not worried."
Jaden ordered a bottle of wine with an alcohol content of over twenty degrees and sipped it slowly. Avery remained silent, slowly nibbling on snacks as she watched Jaden drink. It took Jaden over an hour to finish the bottle, and he was a bit tipsy. He didn’t need anyone to take care of him, but he looked somewhat dazed, and his steps were unsteady.
Avery didn’t give Jaden the hangover remedy. When a person suffered and felt trapped to the extreme, they needed to do something to vent their frustration. Otherwise, the consequences could be worse than getting drunk.
After paying the bill, she helped Jaden downstairs and then into the car. Linda witnessed this scene. She was filled with bitterness. She gritted her teeth, driving behind Avery, watching the two of them enter Mid-Level Mountain Garden again, feeling her heart shatter once more.
Linda desperately wanted to enter the community to see what exactly Jaden’s relationship with Avery was, but she didn’t know anyone who lived there. The security was strict, and her attempts to charm or bribe the guards failed miserably. After wandering around for a while, she decided to flirt with a male resident to gain entry. However, just then, her family called, urging her to come home immediately. With no choice, Linda had to leave, planning to find them the next day.