Chapter 319“Are you finally up?” Elliot asked mockingly.
Avery laid back on the bed, then massaged her aching temples and said, “Weren’t you the one who called and woke me up? Why did you call?” “I saw you drive out of the neighborhood last night at 10.30 p.m., Avery. Where did you go that late at night?” Elliot asked.
Avery gave Mike, who was sitting at the end of the bed, a little kick and shot him a look.
Then, she answered Elliot’s question.
“Mike had too much to drink last night. The bar called to ask me to go settle his check for him, so I drove out to where he was… He was in a drunken craze. I was worried he’s wake the kids if we went home, so we got a room at a nearby hotel… What’s up? Are you interested in going bar hopping? Should I get him to invite you next time?”
Elliot’s brows furrowed.
Why was Avery’s answer different from what he had imagined?
“Is there anything else?” Avery asked as she let out a yawn. “Mike kept me up all night last night… I’m exhausted. I’m hanging up if that’s all!”
Just as she was about to end the call, she asked as if something just occurred to her, “By the way, did you manage to find Shea?”
That final sentence made Elliot give up hope.
Avery was not the one who sent Shea to the hospital.
She had gone to the bar when she left the neighborhood last night!
She even went to a hotel with Mike and slept until now!
“I found her,” Elliot said, then hung up the phone.
Avery gave up her act the moment she saw that the call had ended.
She handed the phone back to Mike.
“Why did you lie?” Mike exclaimed in bewilderment. “Also, did Shea go missing again?!”
Avery pulled up the covers and shut her eyes, then said nonchalantly with a stagnant face,” That’s right! Why do you think she’s so good at picking a place to hide? Why did she have to hide in my wardrobe of all places? If she was in yours or Mom’s closet, she would be dead by
now.”
When Avery found Shea last night, her face was pale and her breathing was shallow.
She would have died if she was discovered later.
Shea’s mental state might be disabled, but it was a good thing luck was on her side.
She was at Avery’s house the both times she went missing.
“Holy sh*t! You didn’t operate on her again, did you?” Mike guessed after he processed the situation. “Are you letting Zoe Sanford take credit for everything again?”
Avery’s eyes shot open upon hearing his words.
“What do you mean by credit? It’s more like a hot potato. If she wasn’t close to death when I found her last night, I would have handed her over to Elliot right away. If I didn’t treat her, Elliot would definitely think I did something bad to her.”
“Just admit it! Yoù couldn’t bring yourself to let Zoe operate on Shea,” Mike said, instantly seeing right through her. “You’ve felt bad this entire time about calling Shea an idiot before. This was a chance for you to redeem yourself, so you went ahead and carried out the surgery on her!”
Avery said nothing.
Mike’s comprehensive skills were surprisingly impressive!
“You don’t want to get entangled with Elliot Foster again, so all you can do is do good deeds in the dark!”
Avery frowned and said, “Can you shut up and let me sleep? I’m exhausted!”
“Fine, i’ll let you sleep! You better get all the sleep you can get just in case you lose sleep over some other bad news when you wake up!” Mike goaded.
Avery did not fall for his trap.
“Get out, then! Is watching someone sleep some weird fetish of yours?”
“Hey! You didn’t bring your phone or your wallet. When we have to pay for the room later…”
“Can’t you just go and pay at reception right now? I wonder how the kids are doing. Go home and check”
“Got it! I called Hayden earlier. He said they didn’t go to school today because neither of them felt like it.”
Avery’s expression instantly turned stern.
She took a breath, then waved her hand at Mike and said, “Go home and watch them, then! They should be hungry by now.”
“Oh, please. They know how to order takeout. How’s the search for a bodyguard going?”
Avery was suddenly no longer tired.
She pulled the covers off, then tied her disheveled hair up into a ponytail.
“I haven’t decided on anything yet. I’m worried whoever I find won’t be reliable, but I’m also worried about the children’s safety. They’re always running around.”
Mike raised his brows, then said, “Should I ask Chad for a recommendation?”
Avery looked at him in shock and said, “Do you think my children have lived long enough and can’t wait for them to die? Why don’t you just go ahead and get Elliot to come be their bodyguard?”
