Chapter 688: Erasmi’s choice
Ava was in shock, and she knew it. How else could she explain the strange detachment that had settled over her, turning the chaos around her into something distant and surreal? It felt like a daydream—a distorted, slow-motion nightmare she couldn’t quite wake up from. She blinked, trying to make sense of it all, her eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before her.
Hannah was being dragged away by the police. Ava had expected many things when she challenged Hannah, a screaming match or possibly even a violent fight, to reveal the secrets that had hung like a dark cloud over them. But this? This was beyond anything she could have imagined.
The police had burst in at the crucial moment, cutting off Hannah’s venomous tirade mid-sentence. They’d read her rights, their voices cold and authoritative, while she thrashed and screamed, her threats echoing long after she was shoved into the back of the police car for scamming a lot of people. They’d even said something about it being a federal offense...
The sudden silence that followed when the police left was deafening. Ava’s breath hitched as she took in the empty space where Hannah had been moments before, the air still thick with the tension. So, the truth had not been revealed again...
Her gaze drifted to Demetri, who stood nearby, the file Hannah had shoved into his hands hanging limply at his side. Ava felt a tremor pass through her and she gulped, trying to think of words that might be able to explain everything. This was even worst than she could imagined
Her legs gave out beneath her, and she sank to her knees. She was utterly lost, unsure of what to do or how to move forward. Was she supposed to go take that file and hide everything? If Hannah had revelaed everything maybe she could have found some courage in the heat of the moment. But now...
Demetri and Erasmi exchanged a glance. Without a word, Demetri placed the unopened file on the table. Taking Nora’s hand in his, he turned to leave, pulling her gently but firmly away from the scene when she would have gone to console and talk to Ava. Even as they waled away, Ava could hear Nora’s murmuring protests...
She gave a bitter smile then. She was all aone again. Buy maybe it was for the better... just then, a hand appeared in front of her. She looked up slowly and realized that Erasmi had not walked away... She looked up at him, her vision blurring slightly as she met his gaze, wondering what to do next.
But she shook her head. She wanted to take his hand and try and stand up. But the truth was that everything was too raw for her right now. She couldn’t handle anything right now...