Chapter 169 Gossips

Chapter 169: Chapter 169 Gossips

Shaking all over, Ava Hart walked through the corridor with a troubled expression. She had never felt so miserable in her entire life. The events of the day had left her emotionally drained, and the loss she had just experienced was more than she could bear.

Her mother was dead. Her brother was dead. And she was left alone.

The worst part was that she couldn’t even bring herself to return to her apartment and face her bedridden father. How was she supposed to look him in the eyes and tell him that both his wife and son had been killed? How could she possibly deliver such devastating news to a man who was already struggling with his health?

Ava’s throat tightened at the thought. She couldn’t do it. Not yet. She needed time to process what had happened, even though she knew time wouldn’t bring either of them back.

Her steps were slow and unsteady as she made her way through the corridor, barely paying attention to her surroundings. People moved past her, some carrying bags while others gathered in small groups to discuss the events of the day.

At first, Ava ignored them. She was too exhausted to care about what anyone else was doing.

However, she soon noticed something strange. People were whispering. Some stopped talking when she approached, while others deliberately raised their voices so she could hear them. A few even pointed in her direction, making no effort to hide their curiosity.

Ava continued walking, pretending not to notice.

"Isn’t that the daughter of the woman who was beheaded for her lack of loyalty?"

The question immediately attracted more attention. Several people turned to look at Ava, examining her face as though they were trying to determine whether the rumor was true.

Ava didn’t look away. She didn’t have the strength to entertain their nonsense. She had already lost enough in a single day, and their gossip was the least of her worries.

"Yes, that’s her," a woman confirmed with a laugh. She looked Ava up and down before shaking her head in exaggerated disappointment. "So shameless. Imagine still walking around with her head held high when she should be hiding somewhere and refusing to show her face. Isn’t that what people normally do in this kind of situation?"

The others snickered.

"Are you surprised?" another woman added. "The fruit never falls far from the tree. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s exactly like her mother and brother."

That comment finally made Ava stop. Her fingers curled into her palms. For several seconds, she remained where she was, her back turned toward the women. She took a slow breath, trying to contain the rage building inside her. She had been willing to ignore them. She had been willing to walk away without saying anything. But apparently, these people had mistaken her silence for weakness.

Ava slowly turned around. "Oh, so I’m the terrible person here, am I?"

The women exchanged glances.

Ava looked at them with an expression that made their amusement falter. "Look around you. Do you honestly think this place is still a home?" Nobody answered. "Those people who used to be around here—do you still see them?" She gave a bitter laugh. "Of course you don’t. You’re too busy gossiping like a bunch of cows to notice what’s happening right under your noses."

One of the women opened her mouth, but Ava didn’t give her a chance to speak. "Let me put this into your empty skulls. People are being hauled away for experiments. They’re disappearing, and nobody knows when their turn will come. Do you think you’re going to be exempt because you spend your days talking about other people’s misfortunes?"

Her voice grew sharper. "Just wait. Time will tell. One day, you’ll find yourselves inside those laboratories, treated like nothing more than lab rats. And when you finally experience that pain, when you scream for help and realize nobody is coming to save you, I hope you remember this conversation." Ava stepped closer. "Because who would bother rescuing a bitch like you?"

The smug expressions vanished from their faces. They stared at her in shock, apparently unable to believe that the quiet, grieving woman they had been mocking could speak to them that way.

Ava nodded to herself. Good. At least she had given them something to think about. Perhaps, from now on, they would spend less time poking their noses into other people’s lives and more time worrying about their own survival.

Without sparing them another glance, Ava turned and continued toward her apartment. She didn’t care whether they were offended. She didn’t care if they hated her. They could say whatever they wanted about her family. They could whisper about her mother’s execution and her brother’s death until their mouths became dry. None of it would bring either of them back. And right now, Ava had more important things to worry about.

By the time she reached her apartment, her legs were trembling from exhaustion. She stopped in front of the door and began searching for her keys. Her fingers were shaking so badly that she struggled to hold them properly. She tried one key. Wrong one. She tried another. Her hands trembled harder.

"Damn it," she whispered. She was so tired. All she wanted was to get inside, lock the door, and hide from the rest of the world.

But just as she was about to try another key, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Ava nearly jumped out of her skin. Her entire body jerked violently, and the keys almost slipped from her fingers. "Ah!" She spun around, her heart racing as though someone had just attacked her.

"I’m so sorry!" a familiar voice exclaimed. "I didn’t mean to scare you. It wasn’t intentional."

Ava stared at the person standing behind her. Bonnie.

Of all the people she could have encountered at that moment, it had to be Bonnie.

Ava closed her eyes briefly. She didn’t want to hear another voice. She didn’t want another conversation. She didn’t want anyone asking her questions or reminding her of the terrible things that had happened. She simply wanted to be left alone.

But when she looked at Bonnie again, she noticed that the other woman was crying. Her eyes were red, and her breathing was unsteady.

Ava frowned. "Bonnie?" She stared at her for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. "What is it? Am I not the one who’s supposed to be crying right now? My mother and brother are both dead, and I’m alone in this huge hellhole." Her voice cracked slightly at the end. She quickly looked away, refusing to let herself break down in front of Bonnie.

But something about the other woman’s expression caught her attention. It wasn’t just the tears. Bonnie looked frightened. Genuinely frightened. Her breathing was shaky, and she kept glancing down the corridor as though she expected someone to appear at any moment.

Ava’s expression changed. "What happened to you?"

Bonnie swallowed. "We have to leave here."

Ava blinked. "What?"

"We have to get out of this place, Ava. The leader—Chris—is a monster. We’re not safe here anymore." Bonnie grabbed her arm. "Especially you. Your parents have just been accused of treason, and everyone knows about it. You can’t keep staying here as though nothing has happened."

Ava stared at her. For a moment, she wondered whether she had heard correctly. Wasn’t Bonnie the same person who had been judging her family? The same person who had criticized her mother and questioned the decisions they had made? And now she was standing in front of Ava, practically begging her to escape? What had changed? Why was she suddenly so desperate to leave?

Ava slowly pulled her arm away. "Girl, where exactly are we supposed to go?" She gestured toward the corridor. "Have you looked around lately? Security is tighter than ever. And what do you think our fate will be out there?"

Bonnie opened her mouth, but Ava continued. "Do you even know what happens to helpless people who leave a place like this without plans or backups? Do you know how they usually end up?" She didn’t wait for Bonnie to answer. "They end up dead, Bonnie." Her voice became colder. "You don’t need me to explain that to you."

Ava turned back toward her door and tried the keys again. "You just left me, and now you’re back acting strangely, telling me we should escape together. You want me to suddenly trust you when you’ve never even liked me?" She finally managed to unlock the door. "But how do I know you won’t poison me? How do I know you won’t lead me somewhere, betray me, and leave me to die? How am I supposed to know that this isn’t another one of your tricks?"

Bonnie’s expression crumpled. "Ava, that’s not—"

"No." Ava pushed the door open. "I’m not interested in hearing it." She stepped inside and began pulling the door shut.

But before she could close it completely, Bonnie shoved her hand between the door

and its frame.

Ava stopped. "Bonnie, move your hand."

"Not until you listen to me!"