He Brought His Mistress, I Brought My Lawyers Chapter 31

He Brought His Mistress, I Brought My Lawyers Chapter 31

Avery froze.

Julian’s confession was like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending long-lost ripples through her heart. Heat climbed behind her ears, warming her cheeks.

He looked at her, sincerity overflowing from his eyes.

“I know you just came out of a terrible relationship. Accepting someone again takes time. That’s all right. I can wait until the day you’re willing to like me.”

His voice was gentle and firm.

“Whenever you look back, I’ll be here.”

Avery’s heartbeat accelerated. She no longer wanted to fight her own feelings. She met Julian’s gaze, her voice carrying a tremor even she didn’t notice.

“I can give you a chance. But… don’t make me lose.”

She looked at him, both promise and warning in her eyes.

“If your heart changes, I will leave without hesitation.”

Julian nodded hard, his eyes bright with excitement.

“I won’t, Avery. I will never let you down.”

He insisted on driving her home. On the way, he took her phone and operated it with a serious expression.

“I set my number as your emergency contact,” he said as he returned it. “Just in case. Any time you need me, I’ll be there.”

At first, Avery didn’t take it too seriously, thinking of it only as the nervous thoughtfulness of a new boyfriend.

She never imagined that a few days later, this casually set contact would become her only hope.

A few mornings later, the Santa Fe sun was dazzling. As usual, before going to the studio, Avery stopped by the coffee shop on the corner.

She was walking back with a warm latte when a black SUV slowly stopped beside her. She didn’t notice.

Until the door opened.

A figure in a hat and mask rushed out and pressed a cloth soaked in chemicals over her mouth and nose.

The sharp smell invaded her senses. Avery’s brain spun. The coffee in her hand fell to the ground, splashing everywhere.

She struggled desperately, but the person was shockingly strong. In the chaos, with her last sliver of consciousness, Avery’s trembling fingers found the phone in her pocket. Using all her strength, she pressed the side power button five times in a row.

After that, she clutched the phone tightly and let the person drag her roughly into the car.

The door slammed shut. Her hands were tied, and she was thrown onto the back seat.

The sharp smell still lingered. Avery forced her eyes open. In the dim car, she saw the face she hated to her bones.

Ethan.

The interior was dark. His face was hidden in shadow, but his eyes were frighteningly bright, filled with a mad obsession.

Avery tried to steady her racing heart, her voice ice cold.

“Do you know what you’re doing? This is kidnapping. A federal felony.”

At that, Ethan actually smiled, a smile full of infatuation and twisted possessiveness.

“Avery, we promised to get married. I’m only taking you to fulfill that promise.”

“The engagement was canceled.” Avery mercilessly pierced his delusion. The coldness in her expression made her utterly different from the girl in his memory, the one who had always smiled so gently.

But he still refused to believe it.

As if seizing a lifeline, he shook his head stubbornly.

“No. You still love me. After Sloane left, I went to your house… The entry code was our original wedding date, wasn’t it?”

He leaned closer, his voice carrying a self-hypnotic fervor.

“If you didn’t love me, why use that date? You still want to marry me, Avery. You’re just throwing a tantrum.”

Avery found it beyond absurd. That password had been the landlord’s default code. She hadn’t even gotten around to changing it.

But in front of a madman, any explanation was useless.

Ethan stopped looking at her and turned to the driver, issuing an order.

“Speed up. Get to the private airport in ten minutes. We’re going back to Newport to get married.”