'Hide… her away?' Ava thought in a daze. 'Is that… is that even possible?' She knew that Eitan was a tycoon, but she didn't think he had the kind of power to hide someone entirely from the world.
No matter how rich and powerful he was, it wasn't a piece a cake to simply remove someone from existence.
Ava collapsed back into her chair, "I don't think that's possible."
Kyla scoffed. "Then you don't know enough to think it's possible." She paused. "But you do whatever you want, Cookie. If you would rather go back to base then I'll gladly come with you, no questions asked."
Ava was silent for a moment. "And if I don't?"
Kyla shot her a determined gaze. "Then you best believe that I'll do everything in my power to get rid of your cowardice."
Ava stared at her wide-eyed, her mouth slightly open. 'So she'll force me if that's what it takes…'
*****
"I'm so sorry, Miss." A man behind a counter told Ava regrettably. "But the slot for this shop's job is already taken."
Ava chewed the inside of her lip as she nodded. "It's alright. I understand."
The moment she walked out of the small café, she let out a miserable sigh. Ever since she woke up that morning, she'd been walking around far and wide looking for a simple job.
She'd been to about five places now and they either didn't have any free slots or their slots were already taken.
Ava tiredly walked over to a wooden bench in front of the café and collapsed into it, closing her eyes, the gentle ray of the sun basking on her face and letting out another long sigh.
'I don't think I can do this anymore…' She thought dejectedly. 'But i really do need to find another job… there's no way I'm going back to that other one…. God… I hate Vince so much…'
Why couldn't he just let her exist in peace? Her life was already miserable enough as is.
Ava suddenly paused and reasoned for a moment. 'But… is there really a need to find a job? Since I'm going back to base…'
A series of goosebumps appeared on her skin at that thought and she gagged.
She didn't want to go back… she really didn't want to… but she didn't want to go to jail either and so her only option was to take Eitan up on his offer.
Ava squeezed her eyes shut. She would die or worse… Kyla would die…
She gnawed on her lip. 'What do I do?'
"Umm… excuse me?" A cheery female voice sounded from above her. "Are you alright? You look a bit pale… would you like me to take you to the hospital?"
Ava's eyes snapped open at the person's voice, her gaze took in a lush wave of golden brown hair, a pair of bright hazel eyes and the smiling face of a very pretty young lady.
Ava's eyes nearly bulged out of her head and she flinched heavily, zooming a few inches away from her.
'E–Evie?! Evie Alrosa?!' Ava's heart felt Like it had jumped to her mouth. 'What Is someone like her doing here? Does… does she know something?!'
Evie tilted her head to the side a little as she watched the girl seated in front of her, her eyes filled with concern. 'Is something really wrong with her, after all? She doesn't look too good…'
Ava swallowed, it felt like a hard rock had gone down her throat and settled in her stomach. "You… you…" she started but no words came out.
Evie quickly raised both her hands in front of her as if in surrender. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you!" She said in a rush. "You looked like you were sick so I just wanted to check!"
Ava stiffened, searching Evie's eyes for any sign of recognition. 'Is she… being serious…?'
Ava nodded once. "I'm… fine." She answered with difficulty, trying her best to control her breathing.
Evie's eyebrows furrowed lightly. "Are… you sure? You're breaking out in sweat and the weather isn't even hot today."
Ava wanted to shriek. 'It's because of you!'
She abruptly sprang up from the bench she was sitting on, crumpling a flyer in her hand that she picked up somewhere along the line. "I'm fine." She repeated firmly. "There's… there's no need for you to worry."
And with that, she ran off, like there were rabid dogs on her heels.
Evie could only watch in shock, blinking the moment she couldn't see Ava's back anymore. "She's a bit odd…"
….
Ava leaned against the dirty wall of an abandoned alleyway, panting heavily. She crouched after a moment and lowered her head, trying to catch her breath.
'What was Evie Alrosa doing there?!' She thought as she pulled at both sides of her hair. 'Did Eitan tell her something? Did she come to feel me out? But I… I don't want to go to jail!'
Tears fell down Ava's cheeks and she began to wail like a child, like she hadn't let out her sorrows in years.
"But I don't want to go back to base either…" She sniffled as she tried to wipe at tears that kept flowing.
There was no way she could escape from any of the options. She either went back to base and continued as she lived, miserable, and in risk of being sent to prison or she took Eitan at his offer and lived everyday in fear of dying by Grahm's hands…
Or Kyla suffered a miserable fate because of her foolish actions.
It was obvious which of the options was better… but it was still too much of a risk.
A buzzing came from her pocket and she flinched, before realizing it was her phone. Her face took on a confused expression when she looked at the screen to find out it was an unknown number.
She sniffed. "I don't think it's safe to pick this…"
She concluded, dropping the phone on the ground beside her before burying her head in the crook of her knee to continue crying.
But the unknown caller kept calling and her phone kept buzzing, disturbing her mourning session.
A vein seemed to pop at Ava's temple, before she snatched the phone off the ground and took the call.
"Who is this?" She asked sharply. "Can't you let a woman cry in peace?!"
The line was silent for a while, before a familiar, grating voice came through the other end. "Ava darling…" A male voice cooed. "Still ever the crybaby aren't you?"