Wi-Fi-less

It had only been a few moments since Adelle left, zooming off with the bridal car driver like some top-secret agent on a mission to watch whatever Helen and Eva are doing, whether or not they are going exactly as planned.

Meanwhile, Ava stood frozen in place in the hefty hallway, realizing she had absolutely no idea where she was supposed to sleep tonight. Or, more importantly, what she was supposed to wear aside from the literal breath-taking gown she's wearing.

She had been so caught up worrying about the contract, the wedding, and whether or not she had unknowingly signed her life away that approximately 60% of her working brain cells had packed up and left the chat.

Just when she was contemplating whether she should just stand there all night and hope the floor swallowed her whole, Zach's butler appeared at the dual grand staircase.

He was an elderly man, possibly in his sixties, but he carried himself with the kind of dignity that said, I have served in this house for decades, and no, I do not have time for your nonsense.

"Good evening, Lady Eva," the butler greeted with a polite bow. "I am Eduardo San Jose, the head butler of this manor, having served the Ford family with unwavering dedication for the past thirty years. There is much to acquaint you with, from the household routines to the estate's expectations, but per Lord Ford's instructions, these matters shall be discussed in detail tomorrow. For now, allow me to escort you to your quarters so you may rest."

Ava inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. After everything butler Eduardo said, all she heard was Lady Eva. She could correct him. She must correct him. But, at the same time… she was exhausted, mentally drained, and honestly, there was a solid chance that if she explained herself, it would open up an entire new can of worms that she did not have the energy to deal with.

So, like the emotionally responsible adult that she definitely was, she simply smiled and nodded.

"Right. Lead the way."

And just like that, Lady Not-Eva followed after him, already wondering how far this madness crisis was about to go.

Ava followed the butler up the grand staircase to the left, the rhythmic click of her heels the only sound filling the vast, empty hall.

The silence felt almost eerie, stretching between the towering walls adorned with intricate moldings and dimly lit chandeliers. As she climbed, her gaze instinctively drifted toward the staircase on the right, a grand yet equally desolate path leading in the opposite direction. 

Butler Eduardo, ever observant, immediately took note of her wandering eyes. Without breaking his stride, he spoke in a measured tone. "That wing leads to Lord Ford's quarters," he informed her with practiced formality. "As per my master's instructions, you will be resting alone this evening. I trust this arrangement is acceptable, my lady."

Ava blinked, momentarily thrown by the butler's phrasing. "Oh, there's no need to apologize," she replied with an easy shrug, though she kept her focus on carefully lifting her gown so she wouldn't trip over the heavy fabric. "You must know quite well the circumstances of this marriage. I think we can both agree there's no need to elaborate further."

Butler Eduardo merely inclined his head in acknowledgment and continued leading the way. As they moved forward, Ava took the opportunity to properly take in her surroundings. The grand manor, despite its undeniable luxury, felt surprisingly cold and unwelcoming.

The high ceilings loomed above, and the walls—tall, vast, and seemingly endless—were devoid of any warmth. The wallpaper, a muted shade of gray, stretched on without embellishment, adding to the bleak atmosphere. No family portraits, no lavish paintings, not even a single decorative vase. 

"Wow," Ava muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "And I thought my house lacked personality." 

The butler remained silent, his years of service likely training him to ignore unsolicited remarks.

Ava, however, couldn't help but wonder—was this how Zach preferred his home, or was this just a house, not a home, even to him? After all, Zeke once said his brother lives in their family basement. Perhaps, this is the basement he's referring to.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, Butler Eduardo finally stopped in front of a grand double door, its dark mahogany finish polished to perfection. With the same practiced elegance he carried in every movement, he turned the handle and pushed the door open, stepping aside to allow Ava to enter. 

Ava didn't hesitate—mostly because her feet were killing her—but the moment she stepped inside, she let out a slow exhale. Wow. This was… underwhelming. 

The room was massive—far bigger than her grand bedroom back in the Summers manor—but somehow, it lacked any semblance of warmth. The walls, coated in the same dull shade of gray as the hallways, stretched endlessly, making the entire space feel more like a well-furnished prison cell than a bedroom.

A lifeless furnace sat at one corner, looking like it hadn't been used in a decade. The only decoration? A gray ceramic vase sitting on a nightstand, holding white lilies that somehow looked sadder than her wedding day. 

Her gaze drifted toward the Victorian-style king-size bed, which, unsurprisingly, followed the same miserable color scheme. Gray mattress, gray blanket, gray pillows. She half-expected to see a gray ghost rise from it just to complete the aesthetic. 

Then, as if the universe had finally taken pity on her, her eyes landed on a single painting hung on the far wall. A delicate flower, bright red against a muted background, standing out like a rebellious streak in an otherwise colorless world. 

Wow. A splash of color. How thrilling. 

She sighed dramatically and turned back to Butler Eduardo. "Tell me, does the master of this house have something against colors, or is he just personally at war with happiness?"

Butler Eduardo merely smiled. "I've already instructed the female attendants, who were specifically hired for your arrival, to prepare your bath, Lady Eva. Your nightdress is also laid out inside the bathroom."

With a graceful motion, he gestured toward the bedside table—gray, of course—where a stiff, old-fashioned hard phone sat next to an equally gray, utterly depressing 1980s alarm clock.

"Should you require anything else, please do not hesitate to call. The female attendants will also be delivering your personal belongings shortly, so it may be best to leave your door open for their convenience." 

Ava nodded, though her mind was still stuck on the fact that even the alarm clock looked like it had given up on life. 

With a polite bow, Butler Eduardo excused himself, leaving Ava alone in what might just be the dullest room in existence.

The moment Butler Eduardo closed the door, Ava kicked off her heels with zero grace, sending them flying somewhere into the abyss of gray. Without a second thought, she threw herself onto the bed, sinking into the ridiculously soft mattress with an exhausted sigh.

Then, like a woman on a mission, she reached into her cleavage and pulled out her phone—wrapped securely in anti-sweat fabric, because she was nothing if not prepared.

"Alright," she muttered, carefully unwrapping it like it was some sacred artifact. "Time to check the CCTVs."

Before doing anything else, she fished out a tiny alcohol spray from her cleavage, because where else would she keep it? Then gave her phone a generous disinfecting spritz, and wiped it down with her gown.

Priorities.

Finally, Ava turned it on then opened the app to the hidden CCTV she planted in her room, Eva's, and Helen's. But her eye immediately twitched when she saw the word "No internet connection" displayed on the screen that she almost threw it directly out of the window.

Ava depended too much on their Wi-Fi. She had never bothered registering for a data plan because, let's be real—why waste money when she could leech off perfectly good internet?

But now?

Now was a life-or-death situation.

She needed to see those cameras. Needed to spy on Eva and Helen. Needed to KNOW if some villainous plot was unfolding in real time.

And yet—she was offline. Ava clenched her fists. Unacceptable.

There was only one solution. She had to find Zach's Wi-Fi router by any means necessary.

Slipping off the bed, she tiptoed toward the door like a true agent of chaos. Every step was calculated. Every breath was measured. This was a stealth mission.

She reached for the doorknob—Paused.

Then smacked herself on the forehead. She could have just called Butler Eduardo.

A long, suffering sigh left her lips. "No. I have gone too far. I am committed to this stupidity."

Ava stepped out of her room, only to be greeted by a hallway so dark, so cold, and so painfully boring that she somehow regretted her decision.

If she had a fainting couch, she would have collapsed onto it from sheer lack of inspiration. She swallowed hard, clutching her phone like a lifeline and quickly checking for available Wi-Fi networks.

Her eyes narrowed when one popped up with the name Go buy your own internet, peasant.

Ava's lips thinned.

She really didn't know much about Zach, aside from the fact that he was an emo man who couldn't move on from whatever tragic backstory he was brewing in that broody little head of his. But now? Now, she could officially add the word petty to the list.

For all that's worse, her mind suddenly dragged up a memory she had successfully repressed until now—that tweet.

That mysterious tweet. The one that popped up right after she mentioned Zach's name during her preconference.

As she stood there, trapped in this Wi-Fi-less wasteland of a mansion, staring at the mocking network name on her phone screen, she realized one thing that made her grin.

Ava clutched her phone tighter, her previous frustration melting away as realization dawned on her like a perfectly timed plot twist in a soap opera.

Eva Summers—her sly, evil, conniving twin sister—liked Zach.

Zachary Ford.

The same man Ava had shamelessly kissed in front of everyone.

The same man everyone thought she was legally married to.

A slow, mischievous grin stretched across her lips as the delicious irony of the situation settled in.

"Ohhhhh~" Ava let out a delighted giggle, wiggling her shoulders like a villain basking in their own genius.

"Talking about instant revenge." She tapped a finger on her chin, as if deep in thought. "This is more exciting than I thought."