Bride of Retribution: Aloof Billionaire's Dominant Game

”Hello?” The voice coming from the other end of the phone was so familiar, hauntingly so. Clear, sweet, and with a fatal tension...

”Hello, Avery Jane.” Tears welled up in Brian Yates’s eyes, his eyes instantly reddening. Sometimes a hopeless love can drive someone to despair.

”Who are you? Are you the person in the photo?” Avery Jane’s voice was small, but she was not afraid of Joshua Hughes knowing that he must have seen the photo. If there was a past, it couldn’t be hidden from him, so she chose to clarify it, which was better than guessing blindly by herself.

”No, that person is my brother.” Brian Yates said slowly. This might be the last time he hears Avery Jane’s voice, the last time he talks to her. After this, it might become difficult for any of the Yates Family to come within a hundred meters of Avery Jane, let alone have a conversation.

”Avery Jane, don’t you remember? The day I met you, you didn’t recognize me, so I played a little joke on you. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have joked like that.” His voice was calm and gentle, tinged with apology.

”What about your brother? What is my relationship with him?” This was what Avery Jane cared about the most.

The voice on the other end of the line paused, as if he sighed lightly: ”Avery Jane, I’m very sorry for the cruel joke. You once dated my brother, but that was when you were very young.”

On the other end of the line, Brian Yates’s eyes seemed to be pierced by something, and his eyes slowly reddened. He was deceiving Avery Jane, while also slowly killing the last bit of trust she had in him. If one day she remembered, she would hate him for lying to her, and she would never trust him again, no matter the reason.

”Avery Jane, you don’t need to overthink it. When you were dating, you broke up because of family opposition. I just wanted to make sure you were happy. If you are happy, my brother can rest assured.” A black, gaping gun muzzle pressed against his temple, coldly aimed at him. The bodyguard looked at him coldly, and he believed that if he said one wrong word, that gun would blow his head off, and his mother’s too. Harper Johnson was already collapsed there, although she had woken up, she was so terrified she couldn’t move.

”And your brother?” Avery Jane looked at Joshua Hughes, his eyes still closed, with fine lines on his brows; he must frown often.

”He died in a car accident. He hoped you would be well, and so do I.” Brian Yates tried hard to control his voice, which was close to choking. He wanted to say goodbye to her properly, but he couldn’t control his emotions. Because of the Yates family, she had become another person—is this destiny? As Brian Yates said goodbye, tears rolled down from his eyes, trailed slowly along his nose, and fell onto his lips, sour and bitter...

The words ”he died in a car accident” caused Avery Jane’s heart to ache sharply, making her afraid to even look at the photo, or to recall the past.

Joshua Hughes was right next to her, and his faint scent of musk dispelled the odor of disinfectant in the hospital that made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Avery Jane leaned lightly against him, breathing in his unique scent. Joshua Hughes knew she was moving closer to him; her movements were gentle, afraid to wake him, and with his eyes closed, he could feel her breathing deeply.

Her hair brushed against his neck, tingling a little, like the feeling of the tenderest willow twigs in spring brushing past. He reached out, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and opened his eyes...

”You’re awake?” His large hand was warm and full of strength, gently holding her shoulder. Avery Jane leaned against him comfortably, the two of them sitting side by side on the sofa.

”Avery, do you feel unwell anywhere?” Joshua Hughes lowered his head to gently kiss her forehead, still worried about her health, such fainting was clearly not a good thing.

”It’s just a bit of a headache.” Avery Jane handed the phone to Joshua Hughes: ”I used your phone.” Joshua Hughes had also seen the photo, and if he asked, she didn’t even know how to answer. She fainted for another man, would he be upset?

Yet the man in the photo really made her feel sad, so sad as if she was submerged in a pool of cold water—though she was on the shore, her feet seemed to be entangled by water plants and couldn’t break free at all.