The Queen's Back

Ava had been sitting there since the afternoon, and now it was past eight. When Bud finally walked in, the sight of her just sitting there like a lost doll, with her red, puffy eyes, knocked the wind out of him. It was the first time Bud had seen Ava so spaced out, and for some reason, it made him feel uneasy. He walked over and took a seat next to her, asking, "What's wrong? Why are you crying like this?"

As soon as Bud walked in, the servants had cleared out, leaving just the two of them. The chandelier above was shining down on Ava, making her look even more pale and highlighting her sollen eyes.

Ava finally looked up and locked eyes with him. She seemed to be studying his face, trying to remember every little detail even the small mole that was easy to overlook. This was the guy who had both captured her heart and crushed it. After what felt like forever, she finally asked, "Bud, do you have a girlfriend?" Her voice was hoarse, but each word hit him like a ton of bricks.

Bud instinctively wanted to deny it. He didn't want to rush into a relationship or anything. But as the thought of his morning with Chelly flashed through his mind, he caught himself. Instead of a firm 'no, he found himself saying, "How did you know?" That pretty much sealed it. Ava's expression shifted to a bittersweet smile. "So, you do have a girlfriend. Got it, Bud. I'm done with these feelings for you. You don't have to worry."

No matter how much she liked him, she wasn't about to hang around someone who was already taken. Plus, if he didn't have feelings for her when he was single, that just meant all her longing was just in her head.

Now that Bud had a girlfriend, Ava felt like her time with him was officially over. It was a tough pill to swallow, realizing she and Bud just weren't meant to be.

After she finished speaking, she shot Bud one last look before turning to leave. But as soon as she turned around, tears started streaming down her face, dripping down her neck.

Bud sat on the sofa, watching her walk away, and for a split second, he felt a strong urge to call her back. It surprised him. This was supposed to be what he wanted-Ava stepping away from him. But somehow it felt so wrong. Once she got the closure she needed, Ava headed home to pack her bags and catch a flight. A getaway was exactly what she needed.

Right before she was about to board, she sent a message to Mon on WhatsApp. Knowing Ava had left Nathontown, Monal figured it was a good idea for her to take a break. She texted back. [Have fun! And hit me up if you're feeling down.] After that, Mona messaged Maxwell to see if he was free for dinner. When he replied that he could make it, she got to work in the kitchen.

Dinner for two didn't have to be anything fancy-Mona was totally capable of handling it herself. But as she thought about Ava, a twinge of worry crept in

When Maxwell walked in after work, he found Mona in the kitchen, wearing an apron and staring at a pot of soup that was bubbling over. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed. Quickly, he rushed over to close the lid on the pot, worried it might splash on her.

Mona snapped back to reality when she felt his hand on hers. That's when it hit her that the soup was still cooking, and she scrambled to turn it off-only to realize he had already taken care of it. Maxwell looked at Mona's hands and let out a breath of relief when he saw they were okay and not splashed with soup.

He caught her gaze and asked, "Hey, what's going on? You seem a bit out of it. I'll cook next time."

Mona took his hand and replied, "I was just thinking about Bud. Did you hear that he's got a girlfriend?"

'Girlfriend?' Maxwell shook his head. 'Didn't he say he wasn't planning to marry until he was in his thirties or forties? That's surprising

"You didn't know either?" Mona said, a little disappointed. She was hoping for some inside scoop.

"Mona, if you're curious, I can just ask him," he said.

With that. Maxwell let go of her hand and sent Bud a message on WhatsApp.

Meanwhile, Bud was slumped in his study right now, feeling kind of lost and totally uninterested in anything

When he heard the WhatsApp notification, he automatically thought it was from Ava-she was the kind of person who never let things go.

He rushed to open the message, only to find it was from Maxwell instead. Disappointment washed over him.

But then he realized that Maxwell was actually checking in on him, which felt nice. Bud quickly sent back a voice message, explaining what had happened. By the end of it, he sounded pretty bummed, confused about how everything had spiraled out of control. Maxwell had the voice message on speaker, so Mona caught every word.

As she listened, she started to wonder about Bud's situation. His tone suggested they might have crossed a line, but she wasn't sure just how far things had gone.

Mona decided it was best not to say anything to Ava. She didn't want to give her any false hope. If Bud really did sleep with someone else, it would just crush Ava more.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Bud shot off another voice message. "Maxwell, she wants to give it a shot with me. Think we'll end up breaking up?"

Maxwell kept his reply short and sweet. [No.]

He couldn't even bother typing more. Since it was that woman who suggested they be together, unless Bud messed up big time, breaking up wasn't going to happen easily. She surely knew the people at that ball were either rich or well-connected, so it would secure her future. Frustrated, Bud slammed his phone down on the table. The thought of getting married in his twenties because of a one-night stand was just infuriating.