Chapter 120 - 120: Love Rival

Avery feels chills creep up her spine. The situation was already a mess, but Andrew's arrival is sure to complicate things. Anthony's hand is still poised in the air as if he's still waiting to hit Gabrielle, but he quickly shoved it into his pocket.

"Mr. Clifford, it's a pleasure to see you," he says smoothly.

Andrew has casually placed his hands in his pockets, and he takes another sharp glance at Avery. She stares back at him with diamond eyes—dazzling, attractive, and cold. He feels his heart starts to pound out of control. He now knows that the previous owner of the heartfelt is similarly when he saw Avery.

"It's too bad I don't have time for family drama," he says with an arrogant laugh, keeping his gaze fixed on Avery, "It would seem I'm here to take someone away."

Evan squints dangerously: he's ready for a war with Andrew. Evan hates the greedy way he looks at Avery and has every intention to blind him. The tension between the two men is strong and palpable. The Peters family becomes deadly quiet. Even Katherine, Vanessa, and Janetta, know better than to stir things up. They look on in fearful silence.

The three women know that Andrew doesn't have any connections with their family, and they're confused by his statement.

"He's here to take someone away? What can that mean?" they wonder, "And who is the lucky woman who gets to go with him?"

Andrew points his finger in Avery's direction, and several dozen guns point at Andrew. Robert draws his gun as well.

"How audacious to say something like that in front of Evan," Robert thinks with disgust.

Avery glares at Andrew and his pointer finger, but she's genuinely worried that shots may be fired.

"Every time Evan and this man confront each other, it gets dangerously close to violence," she thinks, "In this case, I have no idea who would emerge alive."

Anthony clears his throat.

"Mr. Clifford, has my daughter done something to agitate or offend you?" he asks, with a tentative tremor in his voice.

"What an eventful evening," Anthony thinks, "I already had my hands full dealing with Evan and this party and now Avery has gone and stirred up some sort of a mess."

"Agitate?" Andrew asks with a casual smirk, "You could say that. The nurse Avery hired for me ran off."

"So you're taking Avery away with you?" Anthony asks, with clear confusion.

Andrew's smile is viciously indifferent. Though everyone turns to stare at him, he ignores them and gazes calmly at Evan. The two men stare at each other across the room, locked in a confrontation.

"What do you say, Evan?" Andrew finally asks, "Do you want me to take her?"

"She's Evan's wife," Anthony cuts in before Evan can respond, "She's a married woman and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to leave her husband."

"It wouldn't be appropriate at all," Avery says, "Though I suppose it is my fault that your nurse ran off. Are you taking Gabrielle instead?"

Since Gabrielle is standing behind her, Avery assumes that Andrew is talking about taking her sister. Though it looks like he's pointing at her, he could be pointing at Gabrielle.

"My nurse ran off, but there is another one handy," Andrew says, "Mrs. Howel, you wouldn't mind, would you?"

Only Andrew knows that the story about the nurse is an excuse—he wants to finish his work tattooing Gabrielle's back. He needs to add some special ink to finish the piece.

Though he uses the tattoo as an excuse when he talks to Gabrielle, his real reason is more sinister. He wants to use her blood to polish the stone on his bracelet. Andrew is a spiritual and superstitious man and he believes that a v.i.r.g.i.n's blood has a powerful effect on the amber in his bracelet. He believes that after he's conditioned the stone to her blood, he'll need the blood from her h.y.m.e.n to complete the ritual. He hopes that if he takes her, he can find a way for her to lose her v.i.r.g.i.nity.

Avery frowns. She's hired an expensive and highly-recommended nurse before she left Pleasure City, and she's surprised to hear that the woman ran away. She's also suspicious of Andrew's motives for taking Gabrielle instead.

"I do mind," Avery says.

She steps more firmly in front of Gabrielle, shielding her from Andrew's view... From the moment they first met, she had a bad feeling about Andrew, and she suspects he has a dark, devilish side. She refuses to allow him to put her younger sister in danger.

"Let her go," Evan says, casually flicking his lighter.

Avery gives him a bewildered look.

"What did he just say?" she wonders, "Will he allow Andrew to take Gabrielle?"

Evan takes a slow, indifferent drag on his cigarette.

"Would you prefer to let her stay for my punishment?" he asks cruelly.

"I won't let that happen either," Avery replies with maternal protectiveness.

"Why are you so opposed to her going with him?" Evan asks with obvious displeasure.

"Evan, for once in your life, act like a sane man," Avery says, "She just can't leave with Andrew."

"Why don't you want her to go with Andrew?" Evan presses, "Is it because you want to go with him instead? Are you jealous?"

Evan thinks about the photo of Andrew he found among Avery's things and feels his jealousy burning into a rage. Avery stares at him speechless. She can't believe how possessive he's being. Suddenly, his motive for asking Josiah to give Gabrielle a makeover occurs to her: he invited Andrew here to take Gabrielle. 

Before she has time to stop him, Robert has pulled Gabrielle out from behind Avery. Gabrielle stares at her sisters like a pathetic, abandoned doll and Avery rushes to stop Robert. With a swift movement, Evan grabs her from behind and confines her in his arms.

"Andrew! Don't you dare to take her away!" Avery shouts, "I swear, I'll make you regret it!"

Andrew smiles as if he doesn't have a care in the world.

"Rest assured. I'll treat her fairly," he says.

Though his tone is cool, Avery senses a creepiness lurking beneath his words. He nods once at his bodyguards and the grab Gabrielle and begin to escort her to the door. Avery feels mad with impotent rage. She flails against Evan's restraint.

"Evan Howel, get her back. Now!" she screams, "If anything happens to Gabrielle, I will never forgive you—not for the rest of my life."

"She took photos and sent it to the media without my permission," Evan says icily, "This is quite kind compared to some punishments I had in mind for her."

"She didn't send the photos!" Avery screams.

"Then who did it?" Evan asks, "The phone is hers, and so is the account. No one can vouch for her innocence."

"If I prove her innocence, I want your men to bring her back," Avery says.

"And just how do you plan to do that?" Evan asks.