Chapter 46: Mei’s Gift of Chaos
Ava woke to the sound of her phone buzzing aggressively against her nightstand. It wasn’t the gentle vibration of a reminder or the single chime of a message. No, this was the sustained, unrelenting bzzz-bzzz-bzzz of someone calling with far too much energy for this early in the morning.
She groaned, fumbling blindly for the phone and squinting at the screen. The name "Mei Lee" glared back at her.
"Oh no," Ava muttered, her stomach sinking.
She debated letting it go to voicemail but knew better. Mei never called just once. If Ava ignored her, there would be five more calls, a string of cryptic texts, and possibly a hand-delivered letter by lunch.
Reluctantly, she answered. "Grandma, it’s seven in the morning. This better be good."
"Oh, it is, dear," Mei’s cheerful voice chirped. "Are you up? Dressed? Ready for a little adventure?"
Ava sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair. "No. I’m in bed. Like a normal person. What kind of adventure?"
"The kind that involves a very special delivery," Mei said mysteriously.
"Grandma," Ava said, rubbing her temples. "I don’t have time for your surprises today. I have clients, paperwork, and—"
"Ryan’s already on his way," Mei interrupted, ignoring her protests. "Be ready in ten minutes!"
"Wait—what? Why is Ryan—"