CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

As evening arrived, Ava arrived at JA Jewelry, the company Jerome had recently purchased and renamed. The "J" stood for Jerome, and the "A" was a nod to Ava, his fiancée. This was Ava's first time visiting the company, and she was excited to see the premises.

As she entered, the receptionist stopped her. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for the owner of this company" Ava replied.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Did you book an appointment with him? He's not available for walk-ins."

Ava smiled slyly, resting her hands on the desk. "Book an appointment with my fiancé," she whispered.

The receptionist's eyes widened in surprise, but then she regained her composure. "I'm afraid a lot of women claim to be Mr. Jerome's fiancée just to get his attention."

Ava's expression turned stern. "Do you want to lose your job?"

The receptionist hesitated before responding, "I'll only lose my job if I let someone in without an appointment, which Mr. Jerome wouldn't like."

Ava insisted, "I am his fiancée."

The receptionist remained skeptical. "Sorry, but you need to book an appointment."

Jerome was in his office, making calls. A knock at the door interrupted him.

"Come in," he said.

A worker entered, looking concerned. "Sir, there's chaos downstairs."

Jerome's curiosity was piqued. "What's going on?"

The worker said, "There's a strange woman downstairs claiming to be your fiancée, sir."

Jerome raised an eyebrow. "What? That's ridiculous."

The worker nodded. "Yes, sir. She's being quite insistent."

Jerome's curiosity got the better of him. "Let's go see what's going on."

He followed the worker downstairs to the reception area, where he found Ava standing tall, her eyes flashing with determination.

The receptionist looked relieved to see Jerome. "Sir, this woman claims to be your fiancée, but I didn't believe her."

Jerome's eyes met Ava's, and a hint of a smile played on his lips. "Ah, I think I can vouch for her."

Jerome looked at the receptionist and said, "She's my fiancée." He glanced at ava and turned back to the receptionist, his expression stern. "I'll forgive you for this one mistake, for embarrassing her like this and assuming she's one of those women trying to get my attention."

He paused, his eyes narrowing. "I'll forgive you because it's your first time seeing her, but look at her face, remember her face, for she will be coming here more often."

The receptionist quickly apologized, "Oh no, I'm so sorry..." but Jerome waved his hand dismissively.

His hand flew over Ava's shoulder, and he said, "Shall we?"

Ava smiled and nodded sheepishly as they left.

As they stepped into the elevator, Jerome and Ava headed to his office. Once they settled in, Jerome asked, "Do you want me to get you something?"

Ava shook her head, but before she could respond, Jerome apologized, "I'm sorry about the embarrassment downstairs."

Ava waved her hand dismissively. "You don't have to apologize."

Jerome smiled and asked, "Would you like some coffee?"

Ava declined, "No, there's no need. Let's just head home."

Jerome's eyes narrowed slightly as he examined Ava's face. "You look tired, and you have wrinkles under your eyes."

Ava raised an eyebrow, sensing a hint of concern in Jerome's voice.

" you don't have to bother?" Ava said, a hint of amusement in her voice. "It's just stress."

Jerome's expression turned serious. "I keep telling you to quit. This job is becoming too stressful for you."

Ava's eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait, what's that supposed to mean? Remember when you were working as my junior? Could you have told me this then?"

Jerome's face softened, and he took a step closer to Ava. "Now you're my fiancée, not my superior. I need to tell you, I'm worried."

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Julian trudged into his apartment, having spent the day wandering aimlessly, searching for something to occupy his mind. The silence was oppressive, and he felt a pang of desperation.

He pushed aside a reckless thought that had been lurking in his mind - kidnapping someone and demanding a ransom. No, he couldn't stoop that low.

As he collapsed onto the worn couch, exhaustion washed over him. His thoughts drifted back to his past, when he had lived a life of luxury as the son of a wealthy family. Bodyguards had surrounded him, and every whim had been catered to.

But now, his circumstances were starkly different. He had no idea what had happened to his parents or his family. His life had been shrouded in darkness, and he was consumed by regret.

How had it come to this? He couldn't even provide for himself.

***********************

Jerome and Ava were the last to leave the company, as Jerome had been tied up with work and Ava was struggling to stay awake. Eventually, Jerome piggybacked Ava to the car, careful not to jostle her.

After settling Ava into the vehicle, Jerome handed some money to the security guard, who lived on the premises. "Thank you, sir," the guard said, his face lighting up with appreciation.

As Jerome drove away, he glanced over at Ava, who was fast asleep. He could tell the stress of her job was taking a toll on her - it was etched on her face.

Jerome's thoughts drifted back to his own time working as a detective.. He remembered the exhaustion that came with investigating cases, asking questions, and dealing with the emotional toll of the work.

As Jerome arrived home, his new security guard opened the gate, and he drove in. He carefully carried Ava, who was still asleep, into the house.

The new maids and servants greeted him, but Jerome dismissed them, telling them to return to their duties.

Jerome gently laid Ava on the bed and began preparing for a romantic dinner. Soon, Ava's eyes fluttered open.

"You're awake," Jerome said with a smile hovering over her. "Do you want to come downstairs to eat?"

Ava shook her head, her voice weak. "I'm not hungry. My mouth tastes bitter, and I'm just so tired."

Jerome encouraged her, "At least try to eat something."

With Jerome's persistence, Ava managed to get out of bed, still feeling sweaty and in need of a change of clothes. Jerome helped her freshen up, assisting her with every step.

Initially, Ava had lied down on the bed again, but Jerome's gentle prodding helped her get ready for dinner.

They made it downstairs to dinner. Ava ate slowly, her movements sluggish. Jerome watched her with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Ava nodded, but Jerome wasn't convinced.

"I don't think so," he said gently. "You don't look okay. Are you sure you don't want me to talk to Chief Michaels to give you at least a day off?"

Ava shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I'm just tired."

Jerome suddenly stood up, his face red with anger. "Ava, what's wrong with you? Why can't you just listen to me?" he thundered.

Ava shrank back, taken aback by Jerome's outburst.

"Look at you!" Jerome continued, his voice rising. "You're clearly sick. When you came to the company, you looked pale, but now you're getting worse. I'm sure that job is taking a toll on you, stressing you out and draining your strength. Why can't you just listen to me?"

Jerome slammed his fist on the table, making Ava shivered.

It was the first time Jerome had yelled at her like that.

Ava's eyes widened, and she clamped her hand over her mouth, her face contorting in a mixture of shock and nausea.

She felt a wave of sickness wash over her, and she knew she was going to throw up.

Since the bathroom was upstairs, Ava rushed to the kitchen, her hand still covering her mouth.