Avery's Silent Betrayal

Chapter 004

As the enormous mansion came into view, Avery Brooks' heart raced in her chest. Her eyes were unbelievable. She had been here twice before, specifically during the two wretched years she had spent with Dylan Carter. Although she was familiar with the area, she had no idea that Dylan and Grayson Carter, her boss, were related. Although they had the same last name, she had always considered them to be distant relatives and had never guessed that Dylan's uncle was the influential CEO. She was now caught between her boss and her ex, who both had significant influence over her life.

She believed Dylan's uncle had taken over the family business, and she had always known that Dylan's father had died. However, she had no idea that this "uncle" was young and, well, incredibly attractive. Dylan never brought up his uncle's appearance, and Avery never imagined she would find herself in this predicament.

She bit her lip and thought, "This is the last place I want to be after everything Dylan put me through." Avery couldn't bear the idea of having to face Dylan once more now that he was going to announce his engagement to Madison, the woman who had stood in their way.

Avery was so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice Grayson staring at her. He fixed his gaze on her lips, briefly recalling the last time he had kissed her. He moved around in his chair, attempting to ignore the uneasy tension that was rising inside of him. He asked himself, "Why does she affect me like this?" He was aware that Dylan had once been engaged to Avery, but something didn't feel right. She could not have voluntarily come here. He also pondered why Dylan was going to declare Madison his fiancée and the other woman who had pushed Avery into his room earlier. The situation didn't make sense.

Grayson's assistant tensed in her seat as the car stopped in the mansion's long, curved driveway. Avery could tell something was bothering her because she appeared pale.

"How long do you intend to sit there?" Grayson calmly looked at Avery and asked, "How long do you intend to sit there?" Avery appeared agitated after emerging from her reverie. Like Grayson, she hurriedly opened the car door.

As soon as they emerged, a crowd of reporters with cameras and microphones greeted them. Someone had set up a temporary stage on the far side of the mansion, likely for Dylan's upcoming major announcement.

Dylan hurried over to greet his uncle, saying, "Uncle Grayson, we were waiting for you." However, his face turned white when he noticed Avery standing behind him. Panic sweeping over him, he froze. He feared his uncle would react negatively if he learnt about his affair with Madison and how he treated Avery.

Dylan's expression changed, and Grayson saw it right away. He pondered, "Why does Dylan look so scared?" There was a problem.

Madison approached them with a broad smile and said, "Oh, Mr Grayson Carter, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." "My name is Madison, and I am engaged to Dylan." However, her smile vanished the moment she saw Avery.

"Why is she in this place?" Madison pondered, her face barely masking her shock. "Is this her revenge plan? Did she tell Grayson everything? My life would end before I could even get married to Dylan if she did.

Madison hurried over to Avery, forcing a smile. With a voice full of fake sweetness, she pulled Avery into an embrace and said, "Oh my, Avery, I thought you might not be able to make it today."

Avery wanted to back off, but she knew that now was not the time to cause a fuss in front of her boss. Despite her inability to hide her uneasiness, she allowed Madison to embrace her. Avery took a step back to put some distance between herself and Madison when the embrace eventually ended.

Ignoring the heated conversation between Madison and Dylan, Avery said, "Mr Grayson, this way, please." Without giving the couple behind her another look, she walked Grayson towards the press conference room.

Although Grayson was silent, his thoughts were racing. Madison was the woman who had locked Avery in his room, and he recognised her from the video he had watched earlier that morning. He felt suddenly and nauseatingly that he might not be a good fit with his nephew's fiancée.

As they strolled, Grayson thought, "Madison is bad news." "I can't let Dylan get married to her." I can't trust her with my family if she can lock Avery in a room like that.

Avery noticed that Grayson abruptly stopped walking. Her face was composed as she turned to face him, but her cheeks were noticeably flushed.

Grayson said, "Ms. Brooks," in a steady but slightly flavourful voice. Avery gave him a perplexed look. He had never spoken to her directly before.

Even though she couldn't deny the heat rising up her neck, she asked steadily, "Yes, sir?" She struggled to keep her face from going completely red as her mind returned to what had happened the night before.

Avery squirmed under Grayson's intense gaze as his eyes pierced hers. Since it was the same thing on her mind, she was fully aware of what was going through his.

"I would like to talk to Dylan and his recently engaged partner. There was no room for debate in his voice as he said, "Tell them to meet me in my office."

Avery gave a quick nod, attempting to concentrate on the current task. She turned to face Madison and Dylan, who were still glaring at her, obviously annoyed by her presence.

Mr Grayson wants to talk to both of you. "He's in his office waiting for you," Avery stated in a flat, emotionless voice. She didn't care that she could feel them both glaring at her. She didn't have time for their trivial conflicts. She had to do as her boss said.

Madison fought the impulse to destroy Avery. One mistake could ruin her meticulously planned life, and there were too many reporters present. Dylan, however, appeared frightened.

He wondered, fear seeping into his chest, "Did Grayson find out what happened between me and Madison?" He was afraid of his uncle's anger. He cursed himself for letting Madison's behaviour spiral out of control. All of his actions would have been avoided if he had simply exercised more restraint. However, he would now have to face the repercussions.

Grayson had learnt to be firm and uncompromising with his family as an heir to Carter Enterprises. All members of the Carter family feared him, a fact he took pride in. Up until now, he had always thought he was error-free. His error now was to stand in front of him, avoiding his eyes and obviously feeling uneasy in the same space as him.

With a hint of amusement in his voice, Grayson said nonchalantly, "Looks like you're a little scared to be here with me."

With wide eyes, Avery's head jerked in his direction. It seemed as though he could read her thoughts from the way he spoke. A wave of panic rose in her chest. Last night, she had only just come to terms with the fact that Grayson was her boss. She had put significant effort into getting here, and with her student loans and mounting bills, she had no intention of giving up.

Her words became stuck in her throat as she stammered, "I… I…." She was unable to complete the sentence.

Although Grayson's face was unreadable, she could see something in his eyes that made her heart race. She was unable to identify it; pity? Worried? Could it be something else entirely?

At last, he said, "You don't have to say anything." " We'll discuss it later. Do your job for now. Bring those two to my office.

Avery nodded and hurried away, attempting to get rid of the dread that had taken hold of her chest.