CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Kira rushed over, hearing the commotion. People laughed as they make videos of Ava who stumbled around, clearly intoxicated. Kira quickly took charge, escorting Ava to a nearby room. She gently placed Ava on the luxurious bed, making sure she was comfortable.

With Ava settled, Kira zoomed off to rejoin the party, eager to enjoy the rest of the night. In her haste, she didn't even notice Ethan.

Ryan approached later on, his eyes scanning the lavish party. Ethan managed to find him, navigating through the crowds of wealthy guests. The party was meant for the elite, and Ethan knew Ryan wouldn't fit in. So, he had to stroll outside to get Ryan, briefly escaping the opulent atmosphere.

Ryan was looking good too, dressed in a stylish outfit that accentuated his features. He wore a long black coat, a turtle neck, and baggy trousers that gave him a relaxed yet put-together look. His hair fell effortlessly to his face, framing his chiseled features, and a sleek black earring adorned his left ear, adding a touch of edginess to his overall demeanor.

As Ryan strolled in with Ethan, they made a striking pair. Ethan stopped a passing servant to collect drinks, and Ryan's eyes scanned the room, taking in the opulent decorations and the who's who of wealthy guests.

"You look good," Ethan complimented.

"You too, bro," Ryan chuckled.

"I saw Ava," Ethan told Ryan as they walked through the crowds of people. The music had died down a bit, allowing them to converse more easily.

"What?!" Ryan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Where is she now?" Ryan asked, his voice cracking.

"She's drunk...her friend took her away," Ethan explained.

"The crazy girl," Ryan muttered, shaking his head.

Ethan nodded in agreement.

As they continued to chat, some ladies nearby couldn't help but throw admiring glances at Ryan and Ethan. The two friends were unaware of the attention, too engrossed in their conversation about Ava's antics.

Ava woke up later on, her body feeling sore and her head pounding. The bed creaked as she shifted, and she reached out for her phone to check the time. It was 4:02. She remembered Kira telling her it was an overnight party, but what had happened to her?

Just as she was trying to piece together the events of the previous night, the door burst open and Kira strolled in, a bright smile on her face.

"You're awake," Kira asked, still smiling.

"How long have I been asleep for?" Ava asked, her voice groggy.

"Probably four hours," Kira replied.

"Four hours?!" Ava exclaimed, sitting up in bed.

Then kira continued"ava you were videoed"!

"What?!" Ava exclaimed. "I was videoed? Oh my God!"

Then Kira showed her the video. Ava's eyes widened in horror as she watched herself staggering, stumbling, and hitting people.

"God, I want the ground to open and swallow me," Ava muttered, mortified. "I'm a detective, for crying out loud.how did I disgrace myself like this?"

Ava's gaze turned accusingly to Kira. "Kira, you're the cause of this. You're the cause of it. You're the cause of it."

"Yh I know,and I feel so guilty about it..I shouldn't have forced you to take alcohol!"

Ava watched the video again, her eyes widening in horror as she saw herself confess to Ethan. She turned to Kira and said, "This is my colleague."

Kira's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, you mean that cute guy? I didn't notice him."

Ava's face turned bright red. "Wait, wait, I... did I actually confess to my colleague?"

Kira nodded, trying to stifle a grin. "It seems so."

Ava looked like she had been punched in the gut. Kira continued, "I watched the video, and you were saying that you like him blah blah

Ava nearly rammed her head into the wall.

"He is handsome tho" kira mumbled

Ava quickly picked up her bag and, before Kira could say a word, ran out of the room, mixing with the crowd. Kira came out looking for her but couldn't find her.

Outside, Ava was on the verge of tears, overwhelmed by the unexpected events. She bumped into a familiar figure and raised her head to apologize. It was Ethan.

Ethan offered to drop her off, but she refused, feeling ashamed. Ethan reassured her, "It's okay, I understand. Let me just drop you off. I know you were drunk."

After some persuasion, Ava agreed. As they drove, Ava said, "I was drunk, don't put what I said into consideration. Everything was a lie. It's not true."

Ethan smiled and replied, "Yes, I know."

Ethan had been smitten with Alva from the moment he met her. He remembered being introduced to her as her junior and he was struck by her adorable appearance - her shoulder length hair, baby face, small mouth, and slightly rounded nose. Even her fingers were cute, and he found himself staring at them as she typed away on her computer.

Everything about Alva was captivating, but Ethan felt hesitant to confess his feelings. He believed that their relationship wouldn't work, partly because Alva was a serious and dedicated detective, and he was a killer - the same one the police had been searching for,for years.

Ethan knew he wasa killer,so if a killer dates a dictetctive,it would tarnish Ava's reputation. People would talk, and her career would suffer. So, he decided to admire her from afar, secretly dreaming of her instead of mustering the courage to confess his feelings.

When Ava confessed her feelings to him in her drunken state, Ethan's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he almost believed it was true. But then he reminded himself that drunk people often say things they don't mean, and their words are rarely trustworthy.

"They say rubbish things and gibberish things," Ethan thought to himself, trying to brush off the confession as a mere drunken ramble. But deep down, he couldn't shake off the feeling that maybe, just maybe, Ava's words held a grain of truth.