Avery ignored them all and walked straight out. Thomas barked, “Avery, what do you take this place for? Somewhere you can come and go as you wish?” Avery gave a cold little laugh. If it hadn’t been Brianna’s birthday, she would never have set foot in this house again for the rest of her life. When Avery returned to the villa, a message from Julian appeared on her phone. “How’s the progress?” Avery quickly typed, “The divorce papers are with my attorney. Everything is moving according to plan.” Julian replied with an OK emoji. Avery locked her phone and went upstairs to wash up. That night, Damien rolled in during the small hours again. When Damien saw that Avery was awake, he held out a takeout bag. “You probably skipped dinner, so I picked up your favorite pasta. Sit up and have a little.” If this had been before, she might have been touched. But now, she felt nothing. She knew he wasn’t concerned. He was just acting. Just then, her phone lit up on the nightstand. It was a message from Serena. “Avery, Damien and I grabbed a late-night snack, and I had him bring you some. Eat up, okay? Don’t starve the baby!” Avery gave a cold snort. How childish to try and provoke her. Serena never seemed to tire of them. When Avery didn’t answer, Damien assumed she was still angry and softened his voice. “Come on. For the baby’s sake, don’t stay mad at me.” He placed his palm on her belly. “Hey, little one, tell Mommy to go easy on Daddy, alright?” Avery shoved his hand away. “Damien, don’t touch me!” His eyes darkened with impatience. “I already signed what you wanted. What else do you expect from me?” “Anything I want?” “As long as it’s within my power, I’ll do it.” “Then, starting now, stop seeing Serena.” Damien’s face hardened. “Avery, do you have to make this difficult?” “I’m your wife. Is it really that hard to choose between me and an outsider like Serena?” He pressed his lips together and said nothing, but his gaze turned cold. Avery let out a bitter laugh. She had known what his answer would be, but it still cut like a knife. She stood, pushed him out of the bedroom, and locked the door. Damien gave an angry laugh. “You’re getting bolder by the day. Do you think being pregnant means you can do whatever you want? I’ll wait for the day you’re crying and begging me to come back!” “Don’t hold your breath,” Avery murmured. “That day will never come.” Damien snorted, and his footsteps faded down the corridor. A moment later, a sports car roared to life outside. Damien was gone, and odds were that he was headed straight to Serena. Sure enough, an hour later, a photo arrived from Serena. She was curled up in Damien’s arms, her neck dotted with hickeys. “Avery, how could you kick Damien out of the house?” Avery almost laughed. Serena had never been so foolish, handing her evidence on a silver platter. She took a screenshot and sent it straight to her attorney. By morning, her attorney replied, “Received. This is strong evidence. I’ll push for the maximum settlement.” “Thank you,” Avery wrote back. Damien was gone for three days before he finally returned. His eyes were glassy from drinking, and his suit carried a perfume that wasn’t Avery’s. He held a lush bouquet of red roses and looked at her with deep affection. “Still mad? Work has been crazy the last few days, so I couldn’t make it home.”