Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 105: The Silence Screams

[Nice will. Let’s hope I don’t have to bury you before you enjoy it.]

’Will?’

Not many people knew about Aveline’s will. The Laurent family, Giselle and her team, Damien, and Alaric.

It was easy to guess where the problem could start from - Damien Ashford.

Only one person had benefits without her will - Damien Ashford.

Only one person could be enraged by her will - Damien Ashford.

Only one person would want to bury her - Damien Ashford.

Celeste watched the two go quiet at the incoming message. "Lina?" There was a trace of panic in her voice.

Alaric and Aveline snapped out of their thoughts and both fixed their expressions. She shrugged, "Grandma, it’s just Damien. Don’t worry about it. He’s just trying to scare us."

Celeste didn’t believe Aveline, who was adamant about hiding difficulties from them. So she glanced at Alaric. The way he had requested entry to the mansion, and how he had rushed to meet Aveline, though his expression stayed impassive, his actions clearly gave him away.

There was a problem they weren’t fully aware of.

However, she didn’t pressure them for answers. They weren’t kids, after all. So she nodded, "I will return to bed, then." She said and left, accurately knowing the two would have something to discuss.

Aveline felt bad, but she didn’t want to panic Celeste by revealing that somebody other than Damien was after her life. Or, "Could it be Damien himself?" Aveline voiced her thoughts.

Alaric shook his head. Damien wasn’t the type to inform and then attack. "Can’t say for certain." Because there was the possibility of every perspective they could think of.

Aveline took a screenshot of the message and sent it to Damien. Then she dialed Damien’s number.

Meanwhile, Alaric went to the windows and slightly parted the drapes to look outside. There were no houses around, and only trees covered in darkness. If someone wanted to target Aveline using a firearm, they would either have to be on the balcony or inside the house.

His men were already spread around the mansion and outside the estate. He was confident she would be safe there, even if he was overestimating the threat.

"Hello, Damien... did you check the picture I sent? Please, take a look. It’s freaking me out."

Alaric turned to Aveline, hearing her hurried and panicked voice. She might be acting, but her emotions weren’t fake. She was nervous.

There was a long pause, long enough for Aveline to frown and glance at the mobile to confirm the call hadn’t ended.

"Damien... Damien... are you there?" she asked.

[Nina...]

Aveline cut him off, "What should I do? Only a few people know about the will, who could be behind this? Dad isn’t in town. I should go to the cops, right? Will you come with me? Should I go with Bro? I don’t know what’s happening." She spoke breathlessly.

[Nina, relax. Nothing will happen to you. I’ll look into it. Go to bed. I will call you in the morning. Stay in, stay home. Okay?]

She sensed the desperation clawing at his voice. "Okay." She took a breath and asked, "What about you? How is everything at the company? Did you eat?"

[Things aren’t looking good. I’ll call you tomorrow.] With that, he ended the call.

Aveline turned to Alaric and shook her head, "I don’t think Damien has a hand in this message. He would be the first one under interrogation if I die. He wouldn’t take that risk amid all these."

Glancing at her phone, she continued, "If you decipher this message carefully, the sender is waiting for something. And they expected me to send this to Damien."

Though she was composed and calmness had returned to her voice, Alaric knew she was disturbed. Who wouldn’t be worried after receiving a threat?

"Send the screenshot to Giselle. I’ll speak to her." He said as he walked toward her.

Aveline obeyed and sent the picture. When she lifted her head, he was standing in front of her, but holding back from saying something. "Security is here. You should go home and rest," she said.

"No." Alaric flatly refused. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he learned what was happening and who had sent her the message. "How am I supposed to sleep somewhere else... knowing you’re in danger?"

Aveline went quiet, not knowing what to say.

She had been hoping for Damien to choose divorce and protect his money. And she had written the will so that he wouldn’t think of killing her. But she hadn’t thought that Damien or others could plan to kill her if they didn’t get anything.

"I guess I was overconfident," she voiced. Overconfident that she could keep herself safe.

Alaric lifted the duvet and guided her to sleep as he spoke, "Sleep. Don’t think about all that."

She lay down once Alaric exited the room. She tried to stop thinking and sleep, but thoughts of who could have sent her the message, how powerful they were, and what if they attacked the Laurent mansion kept her awake.

Wrapping herself in a layer of warm throw, she went downstairs to the dimly lit mansion. Brewing two cups of coffee, she stepped onto the porch, two mugs in hand, her breath visible in the cold air.

Alaric turned to her like a hawk at the movement. He was standing near the car, alert, arms folded, eyes scanning protectively.

She approached him quietly and offered a mug.

Alaric took one, but gently pulled the other from her hand. "You shouldn’t drink coffee. You need to sleep."

She raised a brow. "You need sleep too."

"I’m not the one with a threat over my head." His tone softened as he added, "And I’m not the one I’m worried about."

She smiled faintly but didn’t argue. "I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking... if something does happen, what if you or your team..."

He interrupted gently, "I don’t want you thinking about us. That’s my job."

Her eyes lowered slightly. How fair was it to risk so many lives for her?

He couldn’t understand why she worried about others when she was the one in danger. And how could she sleep without feeling secure?

"I know how hard it is to feel safe. But you’re not alone, Sunshine." He assured her.

She looked at him for a moment longer, then finally nodded.

He guided her back inside the house, the warmth of the foyer brushing against the cold on her skin. Without thinking, she sat on the couch, and he sat beside her.

Under the dim light, she was still trying to stay awake with random conversation when her body gave in to exhaustion.

Alaric stayed still, sipping his coffee with numerous thoughts running through his mind. When he looked at her, so peaceful, so unaware of how much she meant to him, he forgot the troubles for a moment.

She stirred slightly to find a comfortable position, still half-asleep. "You didn’t have to..." she mumbled.

He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his voice low, "You didn’t either. But you still brought me coffee."

She flashed a drowsy smile. Her voice barely audible, "Maybe I care more than I say."

He let out a low chuckle, his fingers barely holding back from brushing over her cheek. "You’ll say it one day," he whispered, his voice carrying a promise that hung between them like a secret meant only for the darkness.

She was already asleep.

Carefully, he scooped her into his arms and carried her upstairs. He placed her gently onto the bed and pulled the duvet over her.

As he stood near the drapes, watching the moon casting light over the treeline, he breathed slowly. His voice was barely a murmur in the stillness.

"What comes with the next sun!?"

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