Chapter 148: Why did you lie to me?
Ava’s breath caught in her throat. She stepped back, stunned and hurt. ’Is he so angry with me that he doesn’t want me here?’ she thought.
"It’s me, Ava," Ava shouted desperately as she gripped Dylan’s shoulders and shook him firmly. "Look at me!" Cupping his face, she tilted his head upward, forcing him to meet her gaze. "It’s Ava. Don’t you recognize me?" Her breath came in shallow huffs in frustration.
The name seemed to pierce through the fog of Dylan’s intoxication. His dazed eyes blinked rapidly, trying to focus. "Ava?" he murmured. "Is that really you?"
Ava released his face with an exasperated sigh, her expression a mixture of relief and dismay. "You’ve drunk so much you can’t even recognize me," she hissed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
But Dylan didn’t respond to her frustration. Instead, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pulled her close. His face pressed against her stomach as though anchoring himself to her presence. "You’re finally back. I thought... I thought it was her."
Ava stiffened in his embrace, her brows furrowing deeply. A flicker of unease crept into her chest. ’Her?’ The first name to rise unbidden was Gianna’s. ’Was he thinking about Gianna?’ The thought pricked at her like a thorn.
"Who?" Ava demanded sharply, pulling back slightly to look at him. "Who are you talking about? Who could possibly come here?"
Dylan’s grip on her tightened as if he feared she might vanish. His voice dropped to a haunted whisper. "That faceless woman... the one who killed me," he blurted out.
Ava froze yet again, her body going rigid. ’Faceless woman!’ The words echoed in her mind.