Chapter 18 - 18: Take Her

Evan fumes, "How dare Avery to meet with Charles again?

Robert stares at the ground, worried that somehow Evan will find a way to blame him for Avery's disobedience. For years, Avery has been contacting Dr. Meyer in spite of the Howel family's rules and reputation. It doesn't look good for Robert that he took such a long time to find the identity of the mysterious man she often called and met.

"Tell the nurse to give a message to Avery," Evan says, "Tell her that if she doesn't answer her phone when I call her, I will think of a hundred different, painful ways to pull out her nanny's breathing tube."

The taxi takes Avery to the hospital. She looks tired and ill as she emerges from the backseat.

Charles looks her up and down, "Are you unwell?"

"I'm much better after taking some medicine, but I guess I feel a little cold in this wind," she replies.

The wind catches the fluffy skirt of the maid uniform and her entire body shakes.

"You look like you need to rest," Charles says, "If I knew you were unwell, I wouldn't have asked you to come."

"Didn't say I need to sign something for Nanny?"

"It could have waited a few days."

"It doesn't matter. I needed to get out of that house," Avery says, "Besides I might as well do this now."

Charles hands her the papers and she scans them briefly. There are some notes about new medications and their potential side-effects and risks. She signs the forms and returns them to him. They begin to walk toward the hospital but are stopped when the head nurse bursts out of the doors waving a cellphone above her head.

She runs towards them shouting, "Mrs. Howel, it's for you."

In her haste, the nurse slips on the stairs and falls to the ground. Charles strides forward to help her up. She blushes and looks at him gratefully.

"Mr. Howel said that if you refuse to speak to him, he will pull out your nanny's breathing tube," she says.

Avery grimaces and grinds her teeth. The devil has awoken.

"Why couldn't he have just died?" she thinks bitterly.

Reluctantly she takes the phone and sees Evan's perfect, chiseled face on the screen. Even though the phone, he looks menacing.

"Who are you going to serve in this maid outfit?" he asks mockingly.

He's standing in front of a huge rectangular fish tank filled with rare species of fish. An oxygen machine blows small bubbles, aerating the water. Wordlessly, Evan fingers the oxygen machine's long, transparent tube and then yanked it away. The fish in the tank are fine without the tube, but Avery knows her nanny won't be. Evan's cruel message is clear: obey me or else.

"I'll hang up if this is what you won't tell me," she says.

"You can try that," he responds, "But my men are in your nanny's ward."

"You wouldn't dare she screams!"

"There is nothing I wouldn't dare to do," he threatens, "You can wait and see if you want."

She recalls that he stabbed himself in the chest with her needle, and she trembles.

"Avery, are you OK?"Charles sees how pale she's become and he worries about her condition. He can't hear her conversation with Evan. Avery nods her head slightly, encouraging him not to worry about her. Evan frowns upon hearing Charles' voice.

"What are you doing in the hospital?" he sneers.

"I'm here to see a doctor, obviously," she answers, "What else would I be doing?"

"Dr. Charles Meyer?"

"What of it!"

"I want you to be here in less than twenty minutes," Evan says.

On the screen, she sees him casually throwing fish food into the tank. The fish swim to the surface and gobbled the food. She can hear the threat in his tone: just wait and see what I'll do to you. Avery ends the video call; she can't bear to hear his voice.

She returns the phone to the nurse as dozens of black sports cars pull up in front of the hospital. She pretends to be unconcerned, but she knows she'll have to leave immediately.

"Are they here to pick you up?" Charles asks.

She nods and Charles can feel his heartbreak for her. He spent the whole morning worrying about her and finally felt at ease when she arrived looking pale but okay. He knows Evan subjects her do unspeakable things, but he feels powerless to help her. He tries to swallow his emotions. She turns to leave.

"Avery," he calls her ina low, hoarse voice.

She turns around. Charles stands tall and straight on the hospital steps. His hair is messy and his white lab coat flutters in the wind.

"I forgot to tell you that I like spaghetti," he says.

She smiles. The other day she asked what meals she should cook when she finally celebrates her divorce. He joked and told her to cook a grand banquet. Now he's changed his answer.

"You don't want a grand banquet anymore?"

He puts his hands in the pocket of his coat, tilts his head and smiles sadly, "No, I am very single-minded and spaghetti is my favorite."

Avery returns his smile, "Wait for it."

Charles is enchanted by her smile. Gently, he kisses her cheek goodbye and watches her walk away. Robert gets out of the front car and opens the door for her. She gets in and the cars speed off onto the main road.

When the cars pull up to the mansion, a large group of maids and bodyguards are waiting. Maureen Fletcher, Mrs. Howel's private housekeeper, stands in the lead.

Maureen raises her hand and orders, "Tie her up and take her away!"

Avery stumbles back nervously, but the maids and bodyguards surround her.

"What gives you the right to take me away?" Avery demands, "Aren't you afraid that Mr. Howel will punish you?"

Maureen looks at Robert who is standing by Avery's side.

"Indeed, Mr. Howel wants to see his wife," Robert says.

Maureen seems to hesitate for a moment, but then she decides.

"I'm acting on Mrs. Howel's orders," she says, "I must take her."

Without clearer instructions from Evan, Robert doesn't dare to disobey Mrs. Howel's direct orders. With a shrug, he steps aside and allows the servants to grab Avery.