**Chapter 40** Avery’s phone erupted in a sharp ring just ten minutes after her last conversation. With urgency vibrating through her fingertips, she answered, murmured a quick goodbye, and sent an electrifying message to Tammy, adrenaline propelling her toward the hotel exit. Jun observed her retreating figure with a knowing smile dancing on his lips. The sight of her dashing out left him curious and a touch amused. How did she manage to orchestrate a plot against Elliot Foster without him catching wind of it? Why couldn’t she simply claim her place by his side, biding her time in silence? The question burned in his mind—where would she find a man worthy of comparison to Elliot Foster? The depths of her thoughts, shrouded in mystery, escaped Jun completely. Tammy’s response came swiftly, worry lacing her query: [What’s the rush? Is it that urgent?] Avery’s reply was almost frantic: (Extremely urgent! I promise I’ll explain everything soon!) The call that had pulled her from her momentary sanctuary in the hotel came from none other than Elliot’s bodyguard. His demand was curt: wait for him at the entrance. Disobedience would cost her dearly—he threatened to break her legs. The memory of past encounters with this merciless enforcer haunted Avery; he was known for his brutality. Although she understood his hostile demeanor stemmed from Elliot’s orders, she preferred to err on the side of caution. Approximately fifteen minutes later, a sleek black car glided to a halt before her. The window lowered, revealing the bodyguard’s grim visage—a harbinger of doom. Without hesitation, Avery slid into the backseat, her heart pounding as the door clicked shut, and the vehicle accelerated into the bustling streets. “You know, Miss Tate,” the bodyguard began, his tone mocking as he steered the car with a menacing casualness. “If Mr. Foster had a pet dog for a few months, it would understand its place within the family. Why are you so intent on biting the hand that feeds you?” Avery’s brow furrowed in disbelief. “Are you trying to say I’m less than a dog?” “That’s precisely what I’m saying,” he replied, his voice dripping disdain. “After spending all this time living off Mr. Foster, what have you contributed other than pissing him off daily?” “Do you think I wanted to live off him? If you detest me this much, why not convince him to divorce me?” Avery countered, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “You’re a fool!” the bodyguard roared, the anger in his voice palpable. “What’s wrong with Mr. Foster? How could he ever fall for a woman like you?” “Clearly, you’re the fool here,” Avery shot back. “What makes you think he has any feelings for me?” “Are you serious? If he didn’t care about you, you would’ve been kicked to the curb ages ago! Have some sense!” he snapped, his grip tightening on the steering wheel, rage emanating from every pore. Avery sat stiffly, her mind racing as she weighed her words. This confrontation was a tempest, and she couldn’t resist firing back. “If he truly loved me, would he have forced me to get an abortion?” “Did you honestly expect him to let you have some other man’s child?” the bodyguard retorted, incredulity seeping into his tone. “What if it wasn’t some other man’s baby?” Avery pressed, her voice steady. “He still wouldn’t allow me to keep it.” “Just avoid having a baby altogether! If you had half the brains of Miss Tierney, you wouldn’t be fighting every day!” he sputtered, frustration evident. Avery turned her gaze to the cityscape flashing by outside. “That’s your perspective. I adore children, and I want to have my own. What right does he have to profess his love if he won’t allow me that dream?” The bodyguard's vexation reached new heights, and silence enveloped them for a heartbeat. Suddenly, Avery broke the tension with a pointed question. “Why do you believe he loves me? I can’t see it for myself.” “He slept with you—not just a casual fling, either!” the bodyguard spat, his teeth clenched. “If that’s not love, then what on earth is?” “That’s it?” Avery scoffed, incredulous. “He had me check up on your whereabouts last night in the outskirts. Does that not prove his concern for you? How do you repay him?” The bodyguard’s anger seemed ready to erupt. Avery was taken aback—she hadn’t expected Elliot to send someone to follow her. “How exactly did I repay him?” she replied, steeling herself against the storm of his wrath. “You told him you spent the night at Forrance Villa with Mr. Cole. You bragged about your ‘wonderful relationship’ with him and mentioned passing on something ‘important’… You’re nothing but a manipulative cheat!” Avery burst into laughter, disbelief washing over her. “Is he angry again?” “How can you laugh at a time like this? He’ll lose patience and beat you with that stupid belt of his!” the bodyguard warned, panic rising in his voice. “I just wanted to see how far I could push the lie detector—it was a total waste of money,” she replied, her voice lowering conspiratorially. “I didn’t mean to anger him. I had no idea he’d dig deeper.” “I’ve told you a hundred times; he cares about you! Why can’t you just believe me?” the bodyguard shouted, his voice strained and hoarse. The tension thickened within the car, the secrets of the night, the doubts of the past, and the aching desire for truth swirling in the air around them as they sped through the city—a journey fraught with uncertainty and unspoken emotions.