He Left Me to Freeze, So I Burned His World Down Chapter 17

He Left Me to Freeze, So I Burned His World Down Chapter 17

Eleanor frowned, worry clouding her eyes.

“Even if you and Graham are over, Ava, you shouldn’t just turn around and… and get involved with Bennett…” She seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “How many times have you even met? I don’t even know when this started.”

Ava was quiet for a few seconds.

Of course her mother didn’t know.

If she hadn’t lived through another lifetime in her coma, she wouldn’t have known what Bennett Shaw had done for her either.

In that other world, the Hart family foundation had been hollowed out by Graham, brought to the brink of bankruptcy. Bennett had offered help through an anonymous trust, but she had refused, determined to win Graham back.

She had believed Graham would eventually come back to her, that he would realize who truly loved him.

Bennett never bothered her again.

He just watched from a distance.

Until she fell from the burning stables, her soul floating in the air, and she saw.

The only person who came to clean up the mess, to anonymously buy her burial plot and settle all her debts, was Bennett.

Only then did she understand who had truly cherished her.

This time, she wouldn’t miss her chance.

“Madam, Miss, Mr. Shaw has arrived.”

The housekeeper’s voice cut through her thoughts.

Ava looked up and saw Bennett standing at the entrance to the morning room. He was tall, dressed in a well-tailored charcoal suit, the morning sun tracing his silhouette in gold. Two assistants stood behind him, holding several deep-blue velvet gift boxes.

“Mr. Shaw, please, come in.”

Eleanor immediately stood. She knew what the Shaw family meant in Virginia: prestige as old as the Harts’, and a fortune even greater.

Bennett walked in, smiled, and naturally took Ava’s hand, pressing a light kiss to the back of it. “I hope I’m not late.” His gaze shifted to Eleanor. “Mrs. Hart, my apologies for arriving with so little notice.”

“Of course not,” Eleanor said, trying to maintain her composure. “Please, sit.”

“I wasn’t sure of your tastes, so I had a few things prepared.” Bennett gestured for his assistants to place the boxes on the table. “I hope you won’t find them too forward.”

The assistants laid out the gifts.

They were not ordinary jewelry or luxury goods.

A Victorian emerald brooch, a Shaw family heirloom. A transfer agreement for shares in a top Napa Valley winery. Several original sketches by Impressionist masters.

Each item was valuable enough to be in a museum.

Eleanor’s breath caught. She looked at Bennett, then at her daughter, who remained as calm as still water, and finally understood the weight behind the phrase “only partner.”

“Bennett, this is too much,” Ava said softly, though a smile touched her lips.

“Nothing is too much for you.” Bennett’s gaze was fixed on her. “I’ve told my mother about our plans. She has already chosen a wedding venue. Ava, I want to give you the grandest wedding imaginable and show the world that your life has begun a new chapter.”

He paused, then turned to a slightly dazed Eleanor. His tone was sincere and firm.

“Mrs. Hart, I know this may seem rushed. My lawyer is drafting the prenuptial agreement. I have authorized him to permanently transfer fifty percent of the income rights from my personal trust into Ava’s name.”

He tightened his hold on Ava’s hand, his gaze open and direct.

“Is there anything else you would like to add?”