Ava left the mansion and strolled into the garden, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. "Sis!" Aiden called out, and Ava turned to smile at her brother.
"Come here," she said, opening her arms for a hug. Aiden walked into her embrace, and Ava held him tight.
"Why are you getting all emotional?" Aiden asked, looking up at her with concern.
"I'll make sure you have a good life, I promise," Ava said, smiling at him. "Just leave it to me. Go and keep Mum company, you never can trust these people."
"Alright, catch you later," Aiden said, nodding before heading back to the mansion.
Ava watched him go, then pulled out her phone and dialed a number. It picked up after the first ring.
"Hey girl," Ava said, her voice brightening.
"I missed you!" Mily's excited tone burst through the phone, and Ava chuckled.
"Mily, how have you been doing?" Ava asked. "That Caleb guy is a dick. Should I go and teach him a lesson? And that Mia girl is an asshole. I would have been a better best friend than her, sob sob."Mily swore through the phone, and Ava joined in. "Don't compare yourself to that bitch," Ava said.
"I know," Mily responded.
"How's the team doing?" Ava asked.
"They're all fine, just missing their commander," Mily said jokingly.
Ava and Mily had been like sworn sisters since they started working together at 15. Ava had joined to protect her mum and baby brother after her father's death, while Mily had joined because she was rebellious and wanted to escape her family's drama.
"Mily, I need a temporary job," Ava said. "I don't want my mum to look at me suspiciously when I give her money."
Mily laughed. "That's Aunty for you." Then she added, "There's a translator job I can hook you up with. The company is pretty big, so the pay is good. The interview is on Tuesday. I'll send you the location on WeChat."
"Thanks, girl," Ava said.
"Don't mention it," Mily replied. "Jake's really bossing me around here. Do fast and come and put him in his place."
"Okay," Ava said, laughing. "Bye," she said before hanging up.
After Ava had hung up the phone, she heard her mum's voice. "Honey, here you are," Rachel said, a warm smile on her face.
Ava turned to her mum, and Rachel continued, "You used to run around here when you were little. Then your dad would be chasing you around, and you'd be like, 'No, Papa, I don't want to go. I want to stay with Grandpa.'" Rachel's eyes sparkled with reliving memories, and Ava smiled.
Just then, a notification chimed on her phone. "Howells Corp has gone bankrupt, the police has found out that they were involved in illegal operations,Mr Howells was said to have committed suicide while his family died in a tragic accident,the police are currently….."
"Let's go in, baby," Rachel said, noticing Ava's distraction.
"Alright, Mum," Ava said, turning off her phone screen.
As they prepared to leave, Grandma said, "You all should come more often. It's lonely here sometimes."
Grandpa joked, "What do you mean? Your husband is here."
Everyone laughed, and they bid their grandparents farewell. As they entered their respective cars and drove off.