Chapter 179 - 179: Don’t be so Stubborn

Avery shakes her head in horror. She looks down at Andrew and wonders how he can look so calm although she doesn't know for sure that Charles' heartbeats in Andrew's chest, she heartbeats to take the risk.

Andrew's bodyguards pull their guns from their holsters and point them at Evan. Evan's men draw their pistols and point them at Andrew's men. They look evenly matched, and Avery doesn't know who will win. Either way, one thing's for sure, the battle will be bloody.

"Are you afraid?" Evan asks. "Or you just don't want to hurt your precious Andrew?"            

Avery's face pales, and she subconsciously draws her hand back. She can see the disappointment in Evan's eyes.

"If you're afraid, I can help you," Evan said, raising his gun toward Andrew.

"No!" she screams, rushing in front of Andrew and shielding his body with her own. "Evan, I beg you, don't do this."

"No?" Evan asks, "Why not?"

"Can't you see, Mr. Howel?" Andrew asks with a malicious smirk. "She loves me, and she can't bear to give me up."

"Shut up!" Avery hisses. She turns her head to glare at him and sees his deliberately provoking expression. She looks back at Evan and sees he's on the verge of losing control. His breathing is ragged, and blue veins stand out on his hand. "Evan, I swear, he's lying to you," she says.

"Darling, why are you telling him this story?" Andrew asks. "Are you afraid that he'll shoot me? Even I think it's cruel to string him along like this."

Evan looks like a vengeful devil. His entire aura radiates rage and bloodl.u.s.t. He tightens his grip on the pistol's trigger. He looks warningly at Avery, "If you want me to trust you, get out of the way."

"No, you can't kill him," Avery begs.

I don't know if the heart really belonged to Charles or how Charles's heart ended up in Andrew's body, Avery thinks. I have no idea if Charles is alive or dead, and if he's dead, I have no idea how he died. But I'll find out the truth one day. For now, I can't risk letting Evan shoot Andrew. Besides, Andrew is a powerful and famous man. I couldn't bear to see Evan locked away for murder.

"Are you protecting him?" Evan asks.

"Don't believe anything he says," Avery pleads.

"And I should believe you instead?" Evan asks sarcastically.

"Evan, please put your gun away," she says. She tries to smile reassuringly, but it seems to have the opposite effect.

He waves the gun and jabs it into her chest. "Get out of the way," he orders, punctuating each word with another jab of the gun.

Avery shakes her head. Her face is deathly pale, and tears streak her cheeks.

"Would you really sacrifice yourself to protect him?" Evan asks.

I don't know how to explain, Avery thinks. I can't say I'm protecting Charles' heart—that would make Evan just as angry. His expression is so broken—it must be as unbearable for him to see me with Charles as it was for me to see him with Leonie. 

Evan fingers the trigger of the gun. If he pulls the trigger, the bullet will slice through Avery's body on its way to Andrew. Avery stares at him and wonders if he'll actually do it. He's so possessive, she thinks, maybe he's the type of man to ruin what he can't have just to keep anyone else from having it.

A loud gunshot echoed through the room. Through the padded doors, Avery can hear the shop assistants screaming outside. The bodyguards shift uneasily and c.o.c.k their guns. Avery looks around the room, wondering who's been shot.

Everyone is staring at her feet. When she looks down, she sees the bullet from Evan's gun embedded in the floor next to her left foot. She looks up at Evan, and his expression devastates her. He throws the gun onto the floor, turns on his heel, and walks out of the room — Avery bursts into tears. 

"Wow, he really shot at you," Andrew says, slowly approaching her.

"Shut up!" Avery snaps, "Get out of here!" In a rage, she slaps him hard across the cheek. Her hand stings, but Andrew caresses his face calmly.

"Are you done with your shopping here?" Andrew asks as if nothing has happened, "Shall I accompany you to other shops?"

"Andrew, you better not be lying to me," Avery warns, "If Charles' heart isn't in your chest, I will be the first one to shoot you." She jabs her finger into his chest to emphasize her point.

Andrew looks at her quietly. His face is still red from the slap, but he rubs his heart as if she's hit him there. As he looks at her, his face pales with pain, and his features seem to twist and contort.

"What's wrong with you?" Avery asks, suddenly worried. She wants him to die a thousand painless deaths, but she doesn't want the heart to die with him.

"Aww, you still care about me," Andrew says. He smiles weakly and gestures to his bodyguards. One of the men brings him a bottle of water and a small white pill.

"No, I don't give a damn if you live or die," Avery says.  

"If I die, the heart will die," Andrew warns. "Are you willing to see that happen?"

"I'll dig it out!"

"What? You think if you take my heart out, you can bring Charles back?" Andrew asks with cruel amus.e.m.e.nt.

Avery looks away from him. She doesn't want to talk to him anymore. She wants to forget his very existence.

"Do you want to know the results of our competition just now?" Andrew asks.

"No, I don't," she says.

"Don't be so stubborn," Andrew says pleasantly. "Anyway, you needn't worry about anything. I only have feelings for you now. Other women are nothing to me."

Avery smiles, sarcastically, "I really don't care in the least." She turns around and stomps away. She doesn't want to hear about the results of their disgusting competition. More seriously, she doesn't want to know how Evan reacted to the model's dance.

"Don't want to know how Evan reacted?" Andrew asks as if he's read her mind. When she doesn't respond, he continues, "The only person in the world who wants only you are standing in front of you, and you don't cherish him."

"What do you mean?" Avery asks, reluctantly turning around.

"Evan is a normal man," Andrew says. "Did you honestly think you were the only one he was attracted to?"

"Shut up," Avery snaps. She doesn't know if he's telling the truth or not, but it's painful even to consider Evan's attraction to other women. Avery walks into the main part of the store and watches one of the assistants wrap her purchases in thick tissue paper embossed with the store's logo. As she waits, Avery hears some of the other assistants gossiping about the events in the VIP room.

"Have you heard?" one whispers. "The model took off all of her clothes, and neither of the two men reacted at all."

"I can't believe that any man could stay calm in front of such a s.e.xy woman," another reply.

"Is there something wrong with Mr. Clifford and Mr. Howel?" a third assistant asks.

"Maybe they're just devoted to their girlfriends," says the first.

"No way!" says the second. "There must be something wrong with their s.e.x.u.a.l function."

Avery can't help the sudden joy she feels. She stops walking and turns around to glare at Andrew.

He smiles, innocently, "I was just telling you what I thought you wanted to hear."

Avery stares at him and tries to suppress the urge to tear his smiling face to pieces.

He roams. Outside the VIP room, the shop assistants scream and throw themselves to the floor. The bodyguards shift uneasily and c.o.c.k their guns. Avery looks down at her feet. The bullet from Evan's gun is embedded in the floor next to her foot.

She looks at Evan and realizes he's finished with her. The shot is the official announcement of their break up. He throws the gun onto the floor, turns on his heel, and walks out of the room — Avery bursts into tears. 

"Wow, he really shot at you," Andrew says, slowly approaching her.

"Shut up!" Avery snaps, "Get out of here!"

Avery glares at him coldly and suddenly slaps him hard across the face. Andrew caresses his face calmly.

"Are you done with your shopping here?" Andrew asks as if nothing has happened, "Shall I accompany you to other shops?"

"Andrew, you better not be lying to me," Avery warns, "If your heart isn't Charles's, I will be the first one to shoot you."

She jabs her finger into his chest to emphasize her point. Andrew looks at her quietly. Though his face still stings from the slap, it doesn't hurt as badly as his heart. The hatred in her eyes seems to cut through him. His face pales with pain, and his features seem to twist and contort. He presses his hand over his chest and rubs it as if to ease the pain there.

"What's wrong with you?" Avery asks, suddenly worried.

She wants him to die a thousand painless deaths, but she doesn't want the heart to die with him.

"You still care about me," Andrew says.

He smiles weakly and gestures to his bodyguards. One of the men brings him a bottle of water and a small pill.

"I care more about your death," Avery retorts.

"If I die, the heart will die," Andrew says, "Are you willing to see that happen?"

"I'll dig it out!"

"What? You think if you take my heart out, you can bring Charles back?" Andrew asks with cruel amus.e.m.e.nt.

Avery looks away from him. She doesn't want to talk to him anymore. She wants to forget his very existence.

"Do you want to know the results of our competition just now?" Andrew asks.

"No, I don't," she snaps.

"Don't be so stubborn," Andrew says pleasantly, "Don't worry. I really only have feelings for you now. Other women are nothing to me."

Avery smiles, sarcastically, "I really don't care in the least."

She turns around and walks away. She doesn't want to hear about the results of their disgusting competition. More seriously, she doesn't want to know how Evan reacted to the model's dance.

"Then, you don't want to know how Evan reacted?" Andrew asks.

Avery remains silent.

"The only person in the world who has a feeling only for you is standing in front of you, and you don't cherish him," Andrew says.

"What do you mean?" Avery asks.

"Evan is a normal man," Andrew explains, "Did you think you were the only one he was attracted to?"

"Shut up," Avery snaps.

She doesn't know if he's telling the truth or not, but it's painful even to consider Evan's attraction to other women. Avery walks into the main part of the store and watches one of the assistants wrapping her purchase in tissue paper. As she waits, Avery hears some of the other assistants gossiping about the events in the VIP room.

"Have you heard?" one whispers, "The model took off her clothes, and neither of the two men reacted at all."

"I can't believe that any man could stay calm in front of such a s.e.xy beauty," another reply.

"Is there something wrong with Mr. Clifford and Mr. Howel?" a third assistant asks.

"Maybe they're devoted to their girlfriends," says the first.

"No way," says the second, "There must be something wrong with their s.e.x.u.a.l function."

Avery can't help the sudden joy she feels. She stops walking and turns around to glare at Andrew. He smiles, innocently.

"I was just kidding with you," he says casually.

Avery stares at him and tries to suppress the urge to tear his smiling face to pieces.