The dining room was oddly quiet, all eyes were on Ava who was eating away on her meal. It was obvious from the way they looked at her that they were having certain doubts about reality. She does look like the late Ava but not the same eyes and hair.

Her eyes and hair could be altered too but they all watched her coffin lowered into her grave a month ago. So it wasn't possible, Eric seemed to have gotten out of his shock completely. He had no reason to fear anymore since he didn't kill Ava, only those who did couldn't shake off the lurking fear no matter how they tried.

"The least you could have done is to invite us to your wedding. I know we fight over minor things but I'm still your father and being a part of your wedding is my fatherly right.."

"No" Ryan denied, although he was talking to his father, his eyes lingered on Ava who was eating. He brushed her hair behind her ear carefully. "It's my wedding and only I can choose who to honor my invite or not. Clearly, you weren't part of the people I wanted there.." He completed his sentence with a deep breath.

"Then where did you find her? You actually brought a lady who looks exactly like my late wife and took her as your wife! Why?" he asked. "To mock me? And i'm sure the bitch already knows this before she chose to marry you!" Matt snapped throwing his gaze to Ava.

Before Anna could stop her son from speaking back to his uncle, the deed was already done. She held his hand under the table and gave it a tight squeeze. The table was now silent and Ava raised her head slightly to Ryan.

His eyes darkened. "Get up," he said calmly only to see Matt hesitate. "I said, get your fucking ass up!" He roared. The table shook along with the sound of his voice, not only Matt was shaken at that moment, every one of them was.

Matt looked briefly over to his mother for help as he moved his chair backwards. He stood up and swallowed when he met his uncle's gaze. He watched his uncle stand too and gently pulled his wife up.

"Come over here.." He ordered.

Anna panicked at once, she stood on her feet shaking her head slowly. "He is my son, Ryan. Don't do anything that you might regret later on.."

"And she is also my wife" Ryan said. Once Matt pulled in closer, his face fell to the other side after receiving a slap from his uncle. "And he must learn how to respect his elders. Most especially his aunt..!" he fired.

"Ryan!" Anna snapped.

"Now kneel and tender an apology to your aunt. And after you're done, kiss her feet." Ryan ordered.

"That's insane, Ryan." Anna murmured, she turned to Eric immediately. "Father, say something to him. He can't treat my son as he pleases!"

Eric remained quiet.

"I'm sure it was a mistake. Please spare him this once.." Agnes pleaded.

It seemed like Ryan was waiting for her to speak before he pounced. He snapped his head to her quickly. "Join him!"

Ava watched with Interest, she had a little smile on her lips as she saw Agnes face go pale. The latter left her seat and stood next to Matt.

"Don't make me whip you both.." Ryan warned.

As soon as they heard his words, they both fell on their knees with their forehead kissing the floor.

"I deeply regret my words, Mia and I hope-

"Aunt!" Ryan corrected before Matt could tender his apology.

"I'm sorry Aunt for the way I spoke to you. Please forgive me.." He moved closer to her right foot and was about to kiss it only for Ava to move it away.

"Not this one," She stretched out her left foot. "This one.."

Although enraged, he had no other choice than to fulfill his aunt's orders otherwise he'd get into a tight space with his uncle. Agnes followed suit and kissed Ava on her left foot.

"You may rise." Ava said.

"If this happens again, you'll do more than just kissing her feet. Now both of you, go prepare the master's bedroom for my wife. She's tired and would like to rest.."

Matt gave a firm nod to his uncle before leaving the dining room with Agnes.

"What is the meaning of this, Ryan? My son is not a servant and you-

"Trust me sis, you might be older but I'll certainly punish you if you don't keep your mouth shut! You've raised a fool rather than a son, the fool can't even zip up properly." Ryan paused for a second. "He's fucking another woman just a month after his wife's demise. Shameless!"

"And you're fucking someone who looks like your nephew's wife! You're the shameless one here, Ryan!"

Ryan looked briefly over to Ava standing next to him. "Honey, go up to the room. I'll join you shortly.."

Ava gave a nod before walking away. As soon as she was gone a distance, she could hear the sound of glass breaking. Almost as if someone had flipped the dining table over.

****

"It can't be her, Matt. We killed her and the doctor even confirmed her death! We saw her lifeless body on that theatre table and we saw her buried and covered up with dirt!" Agnes argued.

Matt pinched the space between his brows, he has no idea of what to think. She looked like Ava, but he has always known her to be a soft and naive lady before her death. That lady out there wasn't behaving like the woman he knew.

"My uncle already met Ava once or twice, so he knows about her. But why did he suddenly get married? And also to a woman who looks like Ava? Something's fishy.."

"I hate her already! He made us bow and kiss her feet. And I'm very sure that he'll be against us getting married too"

The door was swung open which startled them, they began to pretend like they were arranging the bed thinking that it was Ryan coming in but to their surprise, it was Ava.

"Hmm..nice room." Ava said softly as she looked around. "I thought that you would be done by now. Make it snappy, my feet are getting tired, it must be the bacteria from your mouths that's making it weak.." She mocked.

Ava walked calmly to the bed and took a seat, she raised her head up to find the two staring at her.

"Do we look like servants to you?!" Matt snapped.

"Oh, I thought you were servants. Wasn't that the reason my husband asked you both to make my bed for me?"

Matt closed the gap between them, he made an attempt to speak but Ava stood to her feet immediately.

"Your mum is getting her ass wacked downstairs don't make me call my husband on you too. I bet you this time that you'd definitely do more than just kissing my feet..I'll make sure you eat my shit instead" Ava threatened.

"You-

His words ran back down his throat when he saw the door open and his uncle stepping in.

"What is going on here?"

Ava snapped her head to the door with a sad look on her face. She touched her neck and shook her head slowly which had Ryan freezing the room with his cold glare.

Ryan closed the gap between them and scooped Ava into his arms. His eyes fell on the two who were stricken with fear and confusion in their eyes.

"What did they do to you? Tell me!" He snapped. A million and one thoughts running through his mind on what to do to them if they really did say or do something to Ava.

Ava lifted her head, her eyes red and teary. "No Ryan, I don't want you to get in trouble for hurting them."

Ryan's jaw clenched, the more her eyes watered, the worse his anger rose. He brought his finger under her chin and raised her head up to stare into her eyes.

"Mia, tell me.." He urged through clenched teeth.

Ava sniffed bringing her finger under her eyelids to wipe her fake tears.

"Uh..He said that I'm a bitch who is set out to destroy you and he won't mind slitting my throat if he gets the chance. And She supported his words before trying to choke me to death.. luckily you arrived just on time or i'd have been dead by now"

Agnes and Matt's jaw dropped in shock. They exchanged brief glances before snapping their heads to Ryan who was now glaring lasers at them.

"W-hat?" Matt stuttered. "No uncle, that's not true! This bitch is a liar!"

Ryan stepped away from Ava and approached the two. "The only way you'd ever learn to have respect for your aunt is only if you're punished greatly.."

Matt wasn't done processing his uncle's words before he dropped to the ground after a hit at the back of his head.

"Matt!" Agnes screamed out in shock as she reached down to Matt laying flat on his belly on the floor. When he didn't budge, she slowly raised her head up.

She caught the smirk on Ava's lips which had her boiling in anger. Her jaw tightened.

"Ryan," Ava called softly, she held his arm and pushed him away from Matt and Agnes slightly. "This is what I was scared of. I was scared that you'd lost your temper this way and now look.." she pointed to Matt on the floor. "You killed him.."

"He is not dead, unfortunately." Ryan gritted. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and raised it to his ear.

A few minutes later, some men burst in through the door and at Ryan's gesture, they grabbed Agnes and Matt.

"W-here are you taking me to? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken that way to Aunt.."

Agnes pleas fell on deaf ears, she was dragged out of the room like a bag of nothing. Silence returned to the room once more.

"Are they going to be okay?" Ava inquired.

"Not exactly.." He smirked. "You've had a long day, have a rest. I have some work to do.."

"What? You're leaving?" Ava asked, her eyes clouded in worry.

Ryan heaved a deep breath, he pulled off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. "If you want me to stay behind, just give the word.."

"I want you to stay.." She replied almost immediately.

The truth was that she was scared of staying alone with these people who wanted her dead. Whatever she was doing to them right now, they deserved a hundred folds of it.

"As you wish.."

****

As promised, Ryan stayed behind for Ava's sake. He watched her closely as she took a nap on the bed. His eyes trailed her luscious hair sprawled on the pillow to her face which was relaxed.

He picked his glass of whiskey and brought it to his lips. A sip in, he was able to digest his long look at her.

It still felt surreal to him, the woman whom he had stalked and loved for years was right before him, napping under his sheets.

His phone rang on the table before, afraid that he was going to disrupt her sleep, he answered the call right away and excused himself to the balcony.

"I thought we both agreed not to contact each other anymore, what do you want now?" he took a glance back to the room. "I'm busy right now.."

Yes! Busy staring at his woman's sleeping face.

A low hiss left his lips, he was forced to disconnect the call. By the time he returned back to the room, he was surprised to see Ava up, she was curled up with both knees to her chest.

Her face was sweaty and her breathing was uneven. She looked scared, almost like she had a bad dream.

Ryan understood what was wrong with her at once, he tossed his phone to the couch and rushed to the bed.

"Ava.. are you alright?"

He scooped her into his arms and made her place her head on his shoulder. Her hands went around him instantly and her sobs gradually died down.

"I don't wanna die. They are going to push me down from the terrace.. I'm scared"

Ryan's grip on her tightened, he pulled her closer to himself and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Shh..I'm right here with you, no one is going to harm you.." He cooed, he stroked her back tenderly until she relaxed in his arms. "Just take a deep breath.."

Ryan lost count of how many hours he spent with her cuddled up in his arms. He wasn't comfortable with his posture but he didn't want to disturb her sleep so he endured the pain in his lower back and neck for her sake.

After Ava woke up from her coma, she wakes up at odd hours screaming. Her nightmares were as a result of her fall. That scene where Matt released his grip on her and left her to fall always gets to her.

The doctor handling her case said it was nothing to worry about, with time she'll recover from the trauma.

But that doesn't seem like it, it pains him to know that the people who tried to kill her were walking around freely like nothing happened. While she's the one suffering from the fall.

"I'm going to make them suffer for what they did to you. And when I'm done with them, I'll make them choose a worse fate than death itself.." he whispered to himself.

He slowly reached for the pillow behind her and gently, he guided her back to the bed. He sighed in relief as he massaged his nape that hurt from sitting in a wrong posture for too long.

Ryan pulled the sheets over her and left for the bathroom.

Not too long after he left, the door opened again and a figure crept in. Anna's eyes scanned the room, she noticed Ryan wasn't in sight. Her eyes fell on Ava's sleeping figure on the bed.

She wanted to confirm her suspicion, the real Ava should have a scar on her belly as a result of the stab wound which took the life of her unborn baby.

If this lady doesn't have the scar, then she'd believe that this was Mia and not Ava.

She tiptoed to the bed and surprisingly, she heard the door to the bathroom open. Turning on her heels, she came face to face with her brother.

Anna's eyes grew large, she gulped down hard before forcing a frown to settle upon her face. She scanned the room in search of something until she met with her brother's eyes again.

"What do you think you're doing here, Anna?!" Ryan's tone was harsh and impatient. His eyes locked on his older sister's eyes. He knew she was here for one of her evil reasons.

"My son, where is Matt? I haven't seen him and Agnes ever since you asked them to come prepare this room for her.." Her voice was rather shaky giving away her lie instantly.

Ryan's brows raised, he saw right through her lie. He took a glance at the woman on his bed, once he noticed her chest rising and falling, every murderous instinct in him relaxed.

"Your son is paying for his foolishness. Leave, if she wakes up because of your noise, I'm going to double his punishment.."

Anna pursed her lips, she badly wanted to ask more questions regarding Matt's whereabouts but she couldn't for the fear of Ryan doing exactly as he had said.

Although she was the older one, her younger brother still commanded a lot of authority and respect in their family. Even their father doesn't get the right to speak or interfere when Ryan is speaking.

"Just tell me where he is!"

Her voice was low but firm and somehow it disturbed Ava's sleep. The latter stirred on the bed before opening her eyes.

"Why is there so much noise?" She groaned in her sleepy state. Or more like a pretense. After overhearing Ryan speak about increasing Matt's punishment, she couldn't afford to miss the golden opportunity to bring more torture to her silly ex-husband.

Anna's eyes went wide when she saw her brother's gaze locked on hers. She watched him raise his phone to his ear and after a while, he mouthed a few words over the phone.

"Double his punishment.."

"Ryan, no.." She whispered in a pleading tone but it didn't faze the man with a stoic expression.

"Leave.." he ordered in a cold tone.

Anna didn't need to be told twice, she hurriedly left the room holding back her tears.

Meanwhile..

Matt crawled back into the dog's kennel after receiving additional twenty lashes from Ryan's men. His back was covered with bruises and whip marks.

Agnes could only whimper in her small cage. No one has ever treated her as bad as Ryan did. He made them stay in the dog's kennel and let the dogs roam free.

Which meant that he valued the dogs more than their lives. She wasn't spared out of the beatings too.

Not too long, they heard the men greeting someone in unison.

Ryan's figure appeared before them, his face void of any emotions or expressions, if there was any at all, then it would be the look of dissatisfaction on his face.

He expected them to be in a worse state, just like the scar they managed to leave in Ava's heart and body, he's going to make theirs worse.

"That one seems to be breathing fine.." Ryan casually murmured to his man as he pointed his lips to Agnes.

Realizing that he was talking about her, Agnes shook her head immediately. Her eyes were too heavy and red to keep open for long and she has lost the voice to cry for help.

"I'm sorry boss, we didn't inflict so much on her because she's a lady-

"A lady with a very nasty and cruel mind!" he snapped before his man could finish his words. "Never make that mistake again, go on. Make me proud of your artwork on them and I'll surely give you a raise this month."

"No! P-lease don't do this!" Agnes finally found the voice to speak again. She clawed at the iron cage desperately as she saw the man approaching her with the whip again.

Ryan stopped on his tracks and turned slightly to Agnes who was crying her lungs out. "And remember, don't let them die." he gave his instructions and left.

From a distance, the screams and wails of Agnes reached his ears. It made his dark soul happy and proud. They couldn't handle this much pain yet they did such a horrible thing to Ava.

****

Later that evening..

Ryan returned back to the room to see Ava standing by the balcony. He didn't know if he should approach her or let her have her moment alone.

He walked to the table where the bottle of whiskey sat. He turned a fair amount into his glass and brought it to his lips. He sat on the couch and continued staring at her back view and side profile for as long as she stood there.

Ava finally returned back to the room after she felt the chilly wind brushing her skin, she was startled to see Ryan sitting there with a weird look on his face.

"You!" surprised. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"I just got here.." he lied.

Ryan placed the empty glass on the table before him when she started heading his way. His breath hitched at the sight of her mounds jingling under his black sweatshirt.

It stopped right on her thighs. He lowered his gaze when she came near. She sat next to him and reached for the bottle of whiskey. Her fresh scent filled his nostrils.

"I hope you don't mind, I had to put on your sweatshirt. I didn't come with any spare clothes.."

"I don't mind. It's perfect on you," he grabbed her hand holding the bottle of whiskey. "But I do mind you drinking." His hoarse voice rang next to her ear.

Maybe she didn't know what she was doing to him but a part of him was rising with this amount of closeness.

"Come on, just a little sip. Don't be a killjoy like your nephew.." Her words were accompanied by little giggles.

She failed to see the look that crossed his face the moment she finished her words. He lifted her effortlessly from her seat to his laps. His eyes fell on her parted lips before travelling to her widened eyes.

"That's the worst thing you should say to me. Don't ever compare me to your Ex-husband." he leaned his face to her neck, using the tip of his nose, he trailed the length of her neck. "Unlike Matt, I will never harm or hurt the woman I love.."

Ava gulped down, she could see the sincerity in his eyes. She gave a firm nod to his words. She could also perceive the faint smell of whiskey coming from him.

"He is a dog, and dogs are locked away in cages.." He continued with a meaningful smirk on his lips leaving Ava confused.