Chapter 133 - 133: Nightmare

"Avery, get Evan out of here. Don't worry about me!" Gabrielle yells.

Avery presses her lips together. She has to take Evan away because of his snakebites. If she leaves him behind, Andrew will let him die.

"I'm sorry, Gabby," Avery says.

It's not a difficult decision, but it hurts her deeply to abandon Gabrielle. She bites her lip hard, surprised to learn that Evan is just as precious to her as Gabrielle.

"Avery, I'm fine here," Gabrielle insists, "Andrew treats me well. I'm staying because I want to. Come on, you have to take Evan and go. I can take care of myself."

Avery bites her lip harder, trying to stop herself from crying. She considers asking Robert to find an antidote—it could be possible with Evan's wealth—but she doesn't know how much time she and Evan have. Besides, Robert might be too injured to perform his duties effectively.

Andrew expected Avery to choose Evan. He orders his men to get the antidote and loosens the ropes on Gabrielle. Avery gulps half of the antidote and pours the other half down Evan's throat. The cure works quickly. Before long, the dark purple color surrounding the bite on her hand starts to fade, and Evan's breathing becomes steadier.

Robert orders Evan's men to prepare a stretcher and tries to have him moved onto it, but whether he's conscious or not, Evan grips Avery tightly. Avery tries to loosen his grip.

"Evan, let go for a second," she whispers.

Whether he hears her or not, Evan continues to cling to her tightly, as if he's afraid she'll disappear as soon as he lets go. Avery has to remain by his side as the men lift him onto a stretcher and carry him outside.

"Mrs. Howel, there are doctors waiting at the Peters house," Robert reports, after finishing a hasty call, "They're preparing all of the necessary medical equipment as we speak."

It takes an hour on a plane from Peters's house to the Howels' house. Since Evan's plane is still at Peters they decide to go there first to stabilize Evan. The car races on the narrow forest paths. Outside the windows, it's pitch black. The wind blows through the bamboo and rustles the leaves with an eerie sound.

After tending to Evan, the guards inject Avery with the additional antidote. She isn't as serious as Evan's because he sucked a significant amount of the venom from her blood. She looks at Evan with a worried expression.

Evan lies across the seat of the trailer. His face is pale and there is still blood dried around his mouth. His eyes are closed and his curly eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks. His lips are tightly pressed together. A sheen of sweat stands out on his forehead.

Avery is lost in watching him. Suddenly the trailer stops and she subconsciously reaches out to keep Evan from shifting. She looks up from Evan and is shocked at the scene outside the windows. Dozens of bodyguards in dark combat outfits are pointing guns at the vehicle. The backs of their jackets are emblazoned with the Howel family crest.

"Mrs. Howel, the senior Mr. Howel asked us to take young Mr. Howel with us," an authoritative voice announces.

Bewildered, Avery looks to see who is speaking. She's surprised to see that the voice belongs to Francis Howel's personal butler. She exchanges a quick glance with Robert and then looks down at Evan's unconscious form. She protectively stretches her arm across the car door.

"He can't go with you," she says, "He's been poisoned and he needs urgent treatment."

"We have doctors, medication, and equipment with us," butler says, "We'll make sure nothing bad happens to Evan."

"But why do you want to take him away?" Avery asks with confusion.

She doesn't want Evan to leave her. He willingly consumed the poison for her. Although he has been given the antidote, he hasn't fully recovered, and Avery doesn't trust anyone else to oversee his recovery.

"Mr. Howel says you know why," the butler replies, with deep significance in his voice.

Robert's expression sours and he gives Avery a warning look.

"Mrs. Howel, I think Mr. Francis Howel found out about the divorce," Robert whispers.

"Can't you take him away after he's well?" Avery asks in a pleading tone.

"Sorry, I have to do what I'm told," Robert answers with professional coldness.

"Then I'll come with him," Avery decides.

She knows she's responsible for this problem, and she's willing to take the blame in front of Francis Howel.

"Mrs. Howel, Mr. Francis Howel flew into a rage hearing that Evan got poisoned because of you," the butler explains, "He has made arrangements to send you back to Howels' house to receive Mrs. Florence Howel's discipline."

The butler nods to the bodyguards, "Escort Mrs. Howel back to the house."

Robert hesitates for a moment, looking guiltily at Avery.

"Mrs. Howel, I can't ignore Mr. Francis Howel's orders," he says, "I'll follow Evan closely. I'll keep in touch with you and let you know if there is anything you can do."

He gives Avery a meaningful look before continuing, "Mrs. Howel, please take good care of yourself once you get back. I think Mr. Howel will revive soon, and he'll want to see that you're well."

Avery knows her days won't be easy after such a crisis; she knows it without Robert's reminder. She forces a bitter smile. What's bound to happen will happen, and she can't avoid the consequences of the disastrous night. She slowly moves her arm away from Evan and nods with defeated acceptance.

An army of men carries Evan to the plane. Before departing, Robert tries to console Avery, reminding her that many of the top doctors work for the Howel. He assures her that Evan will make a full recovery, but his promises do little to improve her spirits when she sees Evan carried out of her sight and onto the plane.

Soon she was escorted to another plane. The two planes take off at the same time. She puts her chin on the edge of the window and vaguely sees the busy figures of the doctors tending to Evan on his plane. Finally, one plane banks to the southeast and the other continues north.

Avery stares at Evan's plane until all she can see is its contrail. Then she reclines her seat and wraps herself in a blanket. She knows she'll need to conserve her strength for the trials to come. She closes her eyes, and when she opened them again she realizes she's arrived at the Howel's house.

Someone pushes her roughly and she stumbles on the stairs off the plane, scraping the skin on her palms and needs. A posse of maids surrounds her making crude jokes and laughing. A loud crashing sound interrupts them. Someone has thrown her luggage off the plane. The suitcases have flown open, and clothes, jewelry, and shoes are strewn across the ground.

Before she has time to catch her breath, another suitcase is thrown at her. It hits her in the stomach and she starts bleeding. Her vision blurs with pain. In a daze, she seems to see a woman with an unrecognizable face coming out of the house, clinging to Evan's arms.

The maids giggle and remark on what a perfect match Miss Summers and Mr. Howel are. The woman leans intimately into Evan's shoulder and whispers something in his ear. He responds and she laughs, burying her face in his chest.

Avery finds her laugh shrill and repulsive. She wants to pull the woman away from Evan, but her body aches and she can't seem to move. Avery starts screaming, trying to get Evan's attention.

"Evan, I'm hurt. Help me!" she cries.

She places her hands on her belly, feeling an intense cramping pain wrack her abdomen. Her upper thighs feel slick with blood. She screams but Evan focuses attentively on the woman beside him as if he can't hear Avery. As they approach, Avery sees the woman's face: it's Diana Summers.

"Evan, I think she's having a miscarriage," Diana says, drawing Evan's attention to Avery.

Evan doesn't even glance at Avery.

"You're back now," he says to Diana, "Her miscarriage is none of my concern." His voice is indifferent and cruel.

"Now that Diana is back, I'm useless to him," Avery thinks.

"Evan, it hurts so much," she m.o.a.ns, "Help me."

Avery suddenly sits up and opens her eyes. She's panting and covered in sweat. The back of her dress feels sticky and the satin clings to her skin.

"It was only a nightmare," she thinks, "But how can a mere dream be so painful? Why do I still feel like I'm choking?"

Outside the windows, it's pitch black, but Avery can feel the plane angling down toward the ground. She knows she'll be at the Howel's house soon.

It takes about ten minutes to drive from the runway to the Howels' house. A car has been parked by the runway to take Avery back to the house. When they arrive, the house is aglow with light. Bodyguards help Avery carry her luggage into the house, but the large house is oddly silent.

"Where is everybody?" Avery asks.

"Every servant has been asked to serve in Mrs. Florence Howel's private mansion," one of the bodyguard's answers.

There are dozens of servants in the Howel household, and it seems odd that they've all been ordered to serve Mrs. Florence Howel. Avery can feel her eyelids fluttering, and she wonders what's to come.