~My favourite place on earth is where I'm with you.

Avalyn's POV.

"Please accept my sincere apology for making you wait, Mr Agosti." I gave him a formal smile which held anything but warmth in it. And he saw that, he noticed exactly where we stood. "Not at all. We came earlier than our appointed time." Soft... his voice was soft for the first time. No dismissive tone, no annoyance. But that annoyed me even more.

I looked at him finally. Many years has passed, so many that I almost forgot how tall he actually was. I barely reached his shoulder even with my heels. Same stormy grey eyes, yet changed, like the storm has somehow quieten down a little. Same black hair, the same almost pale skin.

"May I inquire why? Oh, please do be seated." I motioned for them and took a seat myself. The buffed up dude at the door took a seat at the couch at the far end of my office and Salvatore and that Asian looking guy sat down on the chairs in front of my desk.

"I came earlier beacuse I wanted to discuss something with you Ava." How dare he say my name like that? His voice was calm. Too calm for a guy, in as desperate circumstances as he was in. Or maybe he was not desperate at all? I felt embarrassed and foolish at my decision of coming on front to help a guy who still looked like he had everything in control.

"It's Ms Abramov." I said in a stirn voice. I looked Salvatore Agosti in the eyes and his eyes were already on me. All this time since I entered the room. I challenged him to say otherwise with my eyes and his grey steel was right back at me.

"Ms Avalyn, it's very nice to meet you, at last." Our eye contact was severed and I looked at the guy who said it. "I'm Hamasaki Tsuda. You can call me Tsuda." He sat up straight and held his hand out I took it with a professional smile. "I'm an enemy of your enemy, so please consider me an alley." He pointed at Salvatore but I didn't spare him a glance.

My eyes were on Tsuda when I said. "Likewise, Mr. Tsuda. But there seems to be a misunderstanding here. I neither have an enemy nor a friend in this room, right now." He smiled sadly and nodded.

"Is that so?" It came from Salvatore Agosti. His voice deep yet somehow not as empty as usual. Before I could say much the door to my office banged open and everyone stood up. Except, Salvatore. He didn't even glance to the door, his eyes were glued to me. The guy on the couch took his gun out and pointed it, at the intruder, who was shockingly Avery. Avery looked at the gun and glanced at the guy as though he was a joke.

Suddenly we heard another bang and we saw the chair fall down from behind Tsuda. What was up with that guy? Why would he be so shocked to see Avery?

Avery had her eyes only on me, as she walked past everyone and reached my hands. "Are you okay, Ava?" I got out of my seat and leaned towards her. "Why would I not be?" She took a deep breath as though relaxed and nodded. She looked at Salvatore with those eyes, that held a promise of death.

Then her eyes travelled pass him and widened at what she saw, more specifically, 'who' she saw. Was she shocked to see Tsuda too? Avery always liked keeping her things to herself. She won't tell me much, ever. But I could see, something was going on between them. Interesting.

"I got what you asked for." She yurned back to me and handed me the package. I took it and thanked her. My cheque book. I had forgotten to bring it. I put it on my desk and wrote the numbers and signed it. "Put the gun away. You scare no one here." Avery said to the man standing by the couch. He did without saying much.

"I'm sorry, for the interruption. This was important. Please be seated." I said and slid the cheque on the table towards Salvatore Agosti. Tsuda kept standing, staring at Avery, like she would disappear if he looked away. Salvatore's grey eyes looked at me with question. "That's my student lone, to you." His eyes went cold instantly and he looked up at me.

"I won't look at her like that if I were you." Avery warned with a promise of violence, I knew she was more than capable of. "Avery,.." I was cut off by Salvatore's deep voice holding so much authority as he warned. "This is between us." Avery clenched her jaw and stared daggers at him.

"Oh! So this is the famous Avery!" Tsuda exclaimed and he moved away from his chair which still layed on the floor. He walked towards Avery and put his arm on her shoulder, around her neck. This guy was not normal. At all. He gave her a grin I almost couldn't believe. All his shiny teeth were showing and his eyes creased and his head tilted slightly to the side. There was definitely something going on here.

"Fireball, don't you think we have something to discuss ourselves?" He said to her and I looked at both of them, all along feeling icy grey eyes on me, burning me from where he sat.

"I don't know you." She said, but looked at me, asking if it was okay for her to leave. I nodded and she let that clingy man lead her out of the office, which was strange because she didn't like being touched, at all. They were up to something. I could tell Avery was not as pleased to see him as Tsuda was, but she knew him, somehow. And I had every intention of squeezing the secrets out of her as much as I could.

"Un momento, Xavier." Salvatore said to the guy on the couch and apparently Xavier gave him a curt nod and left as well. After we were both alone I sat down on the opposite side of the desk, on my seat. I pulled the files out of my bag and put them on the desk.

"I don't remember, you owing me anything." He said in a slow voice, with a little bit of sadness. I looked down at my files and started pulling the needed papers out. "I don't know how much you payed for me. But for my studies, food and shelter, I could take a rough guess." I saw him push the cheque back towards me.

I looked up at him and saw him tilting his head and leaning forward, towards me. His eyes still slightly sad staring dead straight at mine. "I am not taking back what I spent on my wife. It was my responsibility." I burst out laughing at that, sarcastically.

"I know just how responsible you are Mr Agosti." I exclaimed frankly. He sighed and his eyes softened. "I don't have many regrets in my life Ava. But what I did that night, eats at my being." Oh, that night. His only regret was what he called me that night. What he did to me that night. All the lies he believed about me. He still believed in them.

He regretted nothing else. Not putting someone who woke up every day just for him aside. Not cheating on his wife. Not accusing his wife of being a slut and selling her body. Not neglecting his wife for years and years.

Responsibility, such a funny word to describe what you think was asked of you.

"Mr Agosti. I assure you this is not Abramov's money. This is Avalyn's hard earned money. So please accept it." I smiled up at him, my business smile. He shook his head in refusal. "I can not, Ava." Ava, Ava... I once wished I could hear this name form his tongue before we fell apart. Before he ruined us.

"Please accept it, so we don't have anything personal left between us. I want us to get over this case professionally and quickly." I told him my voice not wavering a little. Not with sadness not with sorrow not with hatred. Nothing.

"More reason not to accept it." He said with determination in his voice. Determination of what? What has he not ruined? What does he want now? What part of me was left he wanted to destroy now?

I sighed and left my files completely. I folded my arms in front of me and leaned back on my seat. "Look here Agosti. I'm doing my best to be professional right now. No personal feelings involved. If they did get involved, I'll do everything in my power to destroy you. Because the only personal feelings I can have for you, are of hatred. Trust a b*tch like me on that." I leaned forward and put my elbows on the desk with my hands over one another. It was a reminder of what he said to me before. What he called me that day.

At first I saw amusement shining in his eye, but his emotions shifted by the end of my sentence. I saw sadness in his eyes. And some kind of helplessness. I saw his gaze shift to my ring finger. Which still bared the proof of my foolishness. That tattoo. I shifted my hands. So that my right hand was now covering my left one and the tattoo hid underneath it.

"By taking this money you will do me a favor and severe my feeling of owing you something. So, for once, act like a decent f**king human and get along with what I demand." I released a breath and thanked the God that I didn't say all that out loud. I calmed myself down. It's okay, Ava. It's okay. You have Avery and your daughter, Maria. He can't do anything to my happiness.

"So, a dove like Ava can also hold grudges. Though I do wish for you, to not say something bad about yourself." He smiled a soft yet sad smile at me. "It makes me feel... miserable." What is his deal? Why now? Does he need me after all? That's why he's trying to get on my good side? He should not expect anything.

"It does not concern me Mr Agosti. Take the money I owe you." I said with annoyance in my voice. Like my thread of patience was about to snap. His eyes scanned me, my every move, every expression in his radar. He finally sighed in defeat.

"Very well, I will take the money once you call me by my name." I did everything in my power to not transform into Avery and hold his collar or worst hit him and fortunately I succeeded. "I appreciate it, Salvatore." I smiled at him and moved the package closer to him and his hand moved to the package before I could retrieve mine and in the process the tips of his index finger slid over me pinky, from the base to top.

I jolted and snatched my hand away from his. No! Don't show him any weaknesses! He will use them against you. People like him always do. He put the package away, without saying anything. But something was different about him, oddly. Never mind.

I got to work with him and started discussing the case with him. I got a call in between my meeting, it was Avery telling me that she went home and those 2 guys went away too. Our discussion was almost over. He stood up, ready to leave and pulled something out of his pocket.

"Hand." He said in that deep and calm voice. What does he want? Without thinking I obeyed and I held my hand out, palm up. He reached forward and placed something light on it. He straightened up and gave me a soft smile before turning around, ready to leave.

I looked down and saw a candy in my hand. What? That was... oddly... cute?

"Tell me something." I said after being quite for a while, thinking about my curiosity from the start, about the case.

"Sure." He said through the softest of his cords as he turned back to me. Huff... ignore this fake tenderness Ava, that's the best thing to do. "Where is the child?" He looked almost shocked that I would ask him that. Most of the people presumed the child dead, no matter who killed him. But I knew better.

He looked like he was calculating some things in his mind then finally his eyes softened and he replied. "The boy is safe." I nodded, and waited for him to continue, because I already knew he was safe. I asked him where the boy was. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you where he is, for his own safety." I looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked and suddenly he started walking towards me and I jolted up straight. He walked around the table and leaned forward, towards me. Too close. I could feel his breath over my ear as he whispered in a voice that made me shiver.

"Trovato. This right here."

Translation: Found it

I looked down and watched him retrieve a recording device attached under my table. What? Who did that? Shit! No! I did not do it! Suddenly the memory of him accusing me of betraying him came to my mind and I once again lived, the nightmare through my memories. I remembered the cut his ring made on my lip as he almost choked me to death and the glass that had cut my leg. I suddenly became conscious of my scar on my leg and felt it trob again as though bleeding again. Burning with pain again.

I stood up suddenly away from him and my seat rolled back, away from me, his eyes widened in shock and confusion. Hate. Someone hates me. I am hated. The feeling of being hated came back again and my father's punishments came to my mind. By breath hitched and I suddenly jerked my shoes off my feet as though they were on fire. Once, I stood bare feet on the floor my hands fell open on my sides, which here fisted earlier with the candy clutched in it. The candy fell down on the floor as I reached my neck and held it to protect myself from the choke that was about to come any moment.

How angry he looked or how much hate he had in his eyes, I could not see because my own eyes were blurred with tears. Memory of shame and pain under my feet given by my father, the burning pain on my leg and neck given by my husband. They all came back that moment, altogether, looking all too real to just be an imagination. Breath Avalyn breath it's okay it's okay. Maria is waiting for you. Avery is waiting for you. Don't let the circle of pain carry on. Breath...

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Them: Making the slightest skin contact.

Me: