Chapter 17

The car sped past Avery, leaving a trail of dust. She lifted her head and saw the blurry tail lights of the Rolls-Royce in the darkness. Was that Elliot's car? She wiped the tears off her face, calmed herself down, and walked toward the house. She saw the car parked in the courtyard when she arrived. She waited outside in hopes of going in after Elliot had gone to his room. Her eyes stung. She looked up at the stars shining brightly in the night sky. It was a beautiful spring night. Before she knew it, she had been standing outside for an hour. The driver had already moved the car into the garage. The lights in the living room were still on, but there was nobody in sight. Avery felt normal, so she walked slowly into the house. On the veranda on the second floor, Elliot, dressed in a grey robe, was sitting in his wheelchair. The last dregs of wine sat at the bottom of his wine glass. He had watched Avery the entire hour that she had stood outside in the cold. He could not figure out the thoughts that would lead her to spend an entire hour out in the cold. She was so still that she could have easily blended in with the trees that stood next to her. Elliot had met countless intelligent minds in his lifetime because they were the only people worthy enough to stand by his side. However, Avery was an exception. He did not consider her bright because she had provoked him despite knowing what kind of man he was. She was an extremely foolish woman. Seeing her miserable, however, affected his mood in a peculiar way. It was a feeling that he had never felt before. … Maybe it was because of the cold wind, but Avery's head felt heavy by the time she got to her room. She took out a thick blanket from the closet, wrapped herself in it, and fell into a deep slumber. She sweated all night, ridding herself of the chill from the night wind. When Avery woke up the next morning, aside from feeling a little sticky, she was in relatively good spirits. She took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went downstairs. She followed the smell of food to the dining room, and Mrs. Cooper immediately served her breakfast. "Has he had breakfast?" Avery asked. "No, Master Elliot hasn't come down yet." Hearing this, Avery picked up her glass of milk and a piece of toast, then began to wolf down her breakfast. She was done eating in under five minutes. "Are you that afraid of him, Madam?" Mrs. Cooper teased. "I'm not afraid… I just don't want to see him," Avery said, then lifted her chin slightly and added, "Seeing him makes me uncomfortable." "You'll be fine after spending a little more time together," said Mrs. Cooper. "Will you be coming home for lunch?" "I won't. I have something to do on campus today, so I won't be having dinner at home either." "Alright. I'll go get the driver to take you there," Mrs. Cooper said. She left, intending to inform the driver of his duty. Avery immediately stopped her and said, "It's fine. I'll just take a cab. He can have the driver." "We have two drivers at home. One for Master Elliot and one for the odd jobs. I'll get the other one to take you," said Mrs. Cooper. Avery could not win against her. Once they had arrived on campus, Avery turned to the driver and said, "Thank you. You can head back now. I'll find my own way home later." After the driver drove off, a young woman ran up to Avery, tapped her on the shoulder, and said, "Avery! Who was that Porsche cutie?" Avery did not expect to bump in her best friend Tammy Lynch to be at the campus entrance. "He's not a cutie. It's 'Mr. Porsche' to you," Avery said as they walked into campus together. "Tammy, I don't think I can go to graduate school with you." Tammy stopped in her tracks and said, "Is it because of your family? I heard about your dad. I'm so sorry." Avery managed a smile and said, "Actually, I never really wanted to go to graduate school." "I know, you're thinking of marrying your boyfriend after graduation, right?" Tammy said. "When are you going to introduce me to him?" Avery was taken aback. She had only told her mother of what had happened with Cole. Her friends and classmates only knew that she was dating someone but had no idea who he was. "We broke up," Avery said. She then took a deep breath and said, "Do you know what it feels like to have someone completely destroy your trust? I thought he was the best man in the world, but he was nothing but human sc*m." Tammy placed her arm around Avery's waist when she saw her red eyes, and said, "Forget about that, Avery. We're still young. Just think of it as a lesson learned. You'll definitely meet someone even better later!" "I'm better off depending on myself than a man," Avery chuckled. "We need to go through some heartbreak to grow," Tammy sighed. "You were completely love-struck before summer break, but look at the mature young lady you've turned into now!" Avery shook her head and said, "I just hope I can take care of myself after graduation." "Of course! You're the only double major I know who's at top of the class in both majors. The sky's the limit for someone like you!" Tammy exclaimed. Avery's cheeks flushed at the praise. At five in the evening, Avery and Tammy left the campus together. They had planned to have dinner together. When they arrived at the campus gates, Tammy instantly pointed at the Porsche parked by the street. "Avery! Isn't that the Mr. Porsche who dropped you off this morning? Is he here to pick you up?" Tammy still remembered the car. After all, luxury cars and beautiful people were pleasing to the eyes. Avery looked toward the open window of the Porsche. She glanced at the driver, and he glanced back at her. She was taken aback. Did she not tell him not to pick her up? What was going on? She walked over to the parked car as the driver opened the door to the backseat for her. "What is it?" Avery asked in a low voice. Since Tammy was there, the driver was cautious. "Let's talk in the car." Avery's heart tightened in her chest. "Just go if you're busy, Avery! Let's go out some other time," Tammy said. Avery nodded and said, "It'll be my treat next time." Tammy waved her hand and said, "There's no need for that. Call me if you need anything!" The car sped off once Avery was seated. "Did you do something to make Master Elliot mad again, Madam?" asked the driver. Avery raised her brows and answered, "I didn't. Did he ask you to pick me up?" "Yes," he said. "You better prepare yourself!" Avery's heart raced in her chest as she racked her brain. No way! She was on campus the whole day. She had not even seen Elliot, let alone anger him. She went through all the events of the past few days, but she did not have a clue. It was not until her head began to throb in pain that she stopped thinking about it. They arrived at the house at five forty in the evening. When the car came to a halt, Avery got down. She changed into her house slippers and noticed Elliot sitting alone in the living room. He was wearing a green shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his muscular forearms. The sapphires on his cufflinks shone brightly. He was sitting comfortably on the couch, exuding the charm and arrogance of a long-reigning, king.