Chapter 16

Ava had the cab driver send her to Louvier Square. Then, she followed Madison's instructions and got to the food court found on the first floor. Numerous people were going in and out of Louvier Square. Ava weaved her way through the crowd as she searched for her daughter. "There are so many people there. It's going to be hard for her to look for her family." "She should just call her mother-in-law!" "Did you not see her do that in the car? Her mother-in-law didn't pick up." "You've put together quite a nice show, Maddie. This is getting exciting!" "I bet you she's going to find her daughter since this is all scripted." "Head to the stairwell after that turn," Madison instructed just then. Ava arrived outside the stairwell. Before she had even opened the door, Ava picked up on a familiar voice coming from inside. "We agreed on 100 thousand dollars. Why is it just 50 thousand dollars now?" It was the harsh voice that belonged to Patricia Faulkner, Ava's mother-in-law. A man's voice responded, "I'll pay you 50 thousand dollars first. After I sell the kid, I'll transfer the remaining 50 thousand dollars to your bank account." "That won't do. How am I supposed to find you if you change your mind afterward and don't pay me the remainder? You promised me 100 thousand dollars. I won't accept any amount less than that!" The man's voice hardened slightly as he said impatiently, "I don't even know where you've got this kid from or if she has any kind of disease…" "She's my granddaughter. Look at her face and those bright, lively eyes! See how she's kicking her feet so energetically? Does she seem sick to you? "If it weren't because my daughter-in-law said having one child was enough and refused to try for a boy, I wouldn't have decided to give her away." Patricia looked at the child in her arms with disdain. "So, hurry up and give me the money. Then, you can take the child with you. "I'll tell my daughter-in-law that I've accidentally lost the child. Remember to take her somewhere far away so that no one will be able to find her." Ava clenched her teeth upon hearing that. She shoved the door open with a loud bang. Patricia was flustered when she spotted Ava. "Why are you here?" Ava quickly snatched her daughter away from Patricia and ran toward the door. Nick Voss, the man who was with Patricia, immediately went after Ava. Nick was tall, muscular, and quick. With a few big strides, he caught up with Ava, yanked her hair, and slapped her in the face. "You bitch! You can run all you want, but you have to give me the kid first!" Ava held onto her daughter firmly as she endured the pain coming from her scalp. "You wish!" Patricia saw that Nick was about to hit Ava again. She called out hurriedly, "Don't hit her stomach! You can't hit her stomach! She won't be able to bear my son a boy if you happen to hurt her stomach." Patricia turned her gaze toward Ava and coaxed, "For several generations now, the couples of the Zelnick family have only been able to produce a single male successor. "If you don't give us a boy, we won't have anyone to carry on the Zelnick name. The people in our neighborhood are going to look down on us! "Nowadays, raising a kid requires a lot of money. We just need to raise a son. What's the use in keeping a daughter? We can't afford to raise two children at our home." Ava shielded her child with her body. She didn't budge even when Nick continued to hit her amid Patricia's yelling. Her daughter, who was only nine months old, wailed as the noise woke her up. For a moment, the sounds of people shouting and a child crying echoed through the stairwell. "We're the police! Freeze!" A voice rang out just as a buff man rushed in through the door and pressed Nick to the floor. Another policeman hurried in and seized Patricia while his colleague helped Ava up. "Are you alright?" Ava shook her head. "I'm fine." Despite being in a lot of pain, Ava muttered through gritted teeth, "I want to sue the two of them for human trafficking! I have proof!" Ava hadn't turned off the livestream even until then. Everything that happened just now was broadcast live through her phone to all the livestream viewers. "Maddie told her to wait outside for the police to arrive first. Yet, that lady went in anyway and got beaten up instead." "You must be single and have no child. As a mother, I can say for sure that any mother would do the same thing she did under those circumstances." "Maddie must have spent a lot to shoot these scenes. She even hired actors to play the policemen. They look quite legit."