"How can you tell? Why haven't | noticed?" Avery did not notice that Elliot was pursuing her. After all, all they had talked about
since she had arrived was an important matter that needed to be resolved.
"He keeps staring at you. Why would he do that if he doesn't like you? He doesn't really stare at Aunt Natalie when she comes to
our place," Layla said confidently.
"Layla, there's more to liking a person than that. | was confronting him just now so, of course, we are staring at each other," Avery
said. "I was looking at him, too, does that mean that | like him?"
"Oh... Mommy, you don't like him anymore? " Confused, Layla asked, "Daddy is still quite handsome, right?"
Avery could not help but chuckle. "He's alright! But whether | like him or not has nothing to do with looks. If a couple keeps
fighting, they will only grow tired of each other no matter how good-looking they are.
"But you two weren't fighting just now."
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"lI don't want to fight with him anymore," Avery said. "All the leverage he thought he could use to threatendidn't work."
"Mommy, do you want to teach him a lesson?" Layla asked while studying Avery’s expression. "Just tellif there's something |
can do to help. | am definitely on your side!"
"Layla, your dad and | are both adults. Even if | want to teach him a lesson, | can do it myself. | won't need your help for that,”
Avery said while stepping out of the bathroom along with Layla.
Layla headed to the kitchen to show Mrs. Cooper her new jewelry while Avery went back to the living to pay Elliot.
"Why are you buying Layla such an expensive gift?" Elliot asked as he provided her with his account number, "This was on an
auction. If Natalie was bidding against you, how much were you intending to spend?"
As far as he could remember, Avery had never quite enjoyed spending her money. Not only did she refrain from overspending, but
she disliked it when he spent too much as well. Whereas now, she was willing to spend over a million on a birthday gift.
"People change," she said after making the transaction. "lI was just an innocent girl when | first met you. Elliot, don’t try to see the
newthrough the memory of the past." "The new you?" Elliot studied her familiar features, unable to process her change. " And
who are you now?"
"Exactly who you see right now.” Avery avoided looking him in the eyes, feeling that she could be sucked into the bottomless swirl
of emotions in them.
She grabbed an apple from the fruit basket
"You didn't wash that, did you?" He took out a knife from under the drawer and handed it to her.
Avery awkwardly swallowed the apple in her mouth and began peeling the skin off the apple in her hand. "You went to see Hayden.
How was it?"
"You didn't ask him?" "He didn't mention anything, so | didn't ask.
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"He has grown a lot taller and looked more like an adult, but his temper is still..."
Avery gave him a sidelong glance as she got a feeling that he was not about to say anything nice.
Elliot immediately stopped and changed his words. "He still hates me, but he treats Robert well. He bought Robert a gift and was
willing to talk to him."
"Of course, Robert is his brother and he has no reason to resent him." Avery carried on with her task of peeling the apple.
"Does he have reason to resent me? Even Layla can forgiveso why can't he?"
Elliot was more than willing to spoil Layla
and Hayden, but Hayden would not give him the chance to do so.
"You probably think that | have been badmouthing you to him, don't you?" she asked sarcastically.