CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Jerome panicked, wondering what was wrong with Ava. The chairs in the kitchen seemed to scatter out of the way, as if they too were surprised by Ava's sudden and unusual burst into the kitchen.

The maids and chef stood their distance, but Jerome's concern for Ava propelled him forward. He rushed after her, worry etched on his face.

As he entered the kitchen, he saw Ava bent over, her body heaving. Jerome hastened to her side, placing a gentle hand on her back.

"Ava, are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

She nodded.

Ava rinsed her mouth and walked away, ignoring Jerome's concerned gaze. She trudged upstairs, her exhaustion evident in every step.

Without a word, Ava lay down on the bed and closed her eyes, letting the softness of the mattress envelop her.

Jerome followed her upstairs, but decided not to disturb her, sensing that she needed some time alone to rest. He quietly sat down in a chair beside the bed, watching over her as she drifted off to sleep.

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The chefs and maids huddled together, their voices barely above a whisper as they gossiped about Ava's sudden illness.

"Do you think she's pregnant?" a tiny maid asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"I think she is," a chef replied, nodding his head. "She's been looking a bit pale lately, and now this...it all adds up."

The group murmured in agreement, their speculation fueled by Ava's mysterious behavior.

Just then, the head maid, who had been the first to be hired by Jerome, spoke up. "I hope you're all aware that Mr. Jerome wouldn't like you gossiping about his personal life," she reminded them sternly.

The group fell silent, their faces sheepish. "We're just concerned about ma'am ava," one of the maids said defensively.

"I understand that," the head maid replied, "but we must respect Mr. Jerome's boundaries. Let's focus on our work and leave the speculation to ourselves."

The group nodded in agreement, dispersing to their various duties. But the whispers and glances continued, fueled by the intriguing possibility that Ava might be pregnant.

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The next morning, the bright sunlight streamed directly onto Ava's face, rousing her from sleep. Jerome happened to be entering the room and quickly rushed to the window to close the curtains.

He turned on the fan, being careful not to switch on the air conditioning, unsure of how it might affect Ava.

Ava stirred, still groggy, and Jerome smiled. "You're awake"

Ava reached for her phone on the bedside table and opened it. Her eyes widened in shock, and she let out a scream.it was 10:38.

She turned to Jerome, frantic. "What happened? Why didn't you wake me up?"

Jerome explained calmly, "I told Chief Michaels you weren't feeling well, and he said you could take the day off."

Ava was having none of it. "You can't tell me that! There's a case I'm working on."

Jerome's expression turned stern. "That's exactly your problem - you don't listen. You never listen."

Ava's words had struck a nerve, and Jerome's anger boiled over. He stormed out of the room, leaving Ava scratching her head in confusion.

Jerome had made arrangements to care for Ava, but her stubbornness had quickly become frustrating. As the CEO of his company, he had the flexibility to work from home, but Ava's annoying behavior had become too much to bear.

Exasperated, Jerome decided to head to the office, escaping the tension at home. He got into one of his cars and left the building.

Ava wanted to apologize to jerome. However, when she heard the sound of his car driving away, she realized he had already left for work.

She slipped on her flip-flops and headed downstairs, where she met the chefs in the kitchen. They greeted her warmly, and Ava ordered a light breakfast: "Could I just have some warm coffee, scrambled eggs, and toast, please?"

The chefs quickly prepared her meal, and when they brought it to her, Ava started with the bread. However, the toast tasted off, and she set it aside. The warm coffee, on the other hand, was soothing, and she savored every sip.

Despite her physical exhaustion, Ava's mind was racing. She couldn't shake off thoughts of the case she was working on, her concern lingered.making it difficult for her to relax.

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Back at the police station, the news of Ava's absence had spread quickly. The investigators and detectives were informed that she wouldn't be coming to work due to illness.

Detective James, who had been working closely with Ava on the case, decided to take matters into his own hands. He chose to proceed with the investigation, determined to make progress despite Ava's absence. With a newfound sense of urgency, Detective James began to review the case files, searching for any leads that might have gone unnoticed.

Detective James' investigation led to a breakthrough when he discovered a phone number linked to the case. He decided to call the number, and a man answered.

Thompson was the one that talked into the phone disguising his voice,

Thompson, still disguising his voice, pretended to be desperate and in need of help. He claimed someone had recommended them to him.

The man on the phone seemed sympathetic, explaining that their manager had recently passed away. He revealed that the manager was responsible for "taking care" of people. Despite the manager's death, the man offered to help Thompson, suggesting they meet.

Thompson, maintaining his desperate tone, asked where they could meet. The man hesitated, whispering to someone in the background. After a brief pause, he provided an address.

Thompson agreed to meet them, reiterating his need for help. The call ended, and the men on the other end celebrated, believing they had found another victim to exploit.

Unbeknownst to Thompson, he had just set a trap for the human traffickers.

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As Jerome entered the building, he was greeted by his workers, but he ignored them and headed straight to his office using the elevator. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Ava, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease after their argument the previous day.

Just as he was lost in thought, his phone rang, breaking the silence. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Ava. Jerome's expression changed, and he wondered, "What does she want now?"

He cleared his throat and answered the call, trying to compose himself. But before he could even say hello..the words he heard next made his blood run cold.

"Ma'am ava has fainted!" a panicked voice spoke on the phone, belonging to one of Jerome's maids.

Jerome's heart skipped a beat as he processed the urgent message. His mind racing.

Jerome frantically tapped the elevator buttons, urging it to return to the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened, he rushed out, his sense of urgency palpable.

He dashed out of the building, leaving a trail of shocked faces behind. His employees and security personnel watched in awe as their usually composed CEO hurried out, his face etched with worry.

Without hesitation, Jerome sprinted towards his car, his mind consumed by the thought of Ava's well-being. He couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach.