Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 6 Not Qualified

"After passing off the housekeeper duties, Ava felt like a new person.

The morning sun was soft and bright, like it could wash away all the tiredness from before. After breakfast, Ava, for once, felt like heading to the courtyard for some tea and to think about her next moves.

She found the glass greenhouse too filthy and swore she'd never go there again. After some thought, she decided to chill on the third-floor balcony, where she could enjoy the breeze and the view from up high.

Eliza poured her tea and stood by, looking around with a satisfied smile. Ava had been swamped for years, and as her personal maid, Eliza had been stuck at the desk helping her out. This kind of weather, with a breeze carrying a hint of flowers, was something she hadn't enjoyed in ages.

Just as Eliza couldn't help but stretch lazily, thinking they were alone, she heard laughter from behind the glass door, followed by a dull thud of someone hitting the wall.

Ava heard it too. She put down her teacup, puzzled, and was about to say something when two people, tangled up with each other, burst onto the balcony. It was Ethan and Sophia.

Sophia noticed Ava first. After all, she was on top of Ethan, and through the glass door, she saw Eliza, who was always with Ava. Naturally, Ava was there too.

The urge to provoke took over Sophia. She immediately hooked her arm around Ethan's neck, kissing him passionately while one hand reached around to twist the doorknob.

Ava spoke coldly, "I wasn't aware your knights were so fond of public displays of affection."

Hearing her, Ethan pulled away and looked at Ava, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"

"Ethan, your wife is jealous." Sophia withdrew her hand, took a few steps closer, and tapped the table, asking, "Mind if I sit here?"

Ava signaled Eliza to leave first, then seriously looked at the woman in front of her and replied, "Go ahead."

Ava had only heard about her before. This was the first time she had a close encounter with the empire's first female knight captain. From her fierce eyes to her red lips, Ava's gaze finally landed on the ring on Sophia's hand. If she remembered right, she had just seen the same style on Ethan's hand.

"Ava, I hope you don't mind me calling you that." Sophia followed Ava's gaze to the ring on her hand and couldn't help but smile proudly. "This is the ring Ethan gave me when he proposed. He said he had a wife at home, but time and distance had faded whatever little affection they had. So now that he's met someone he truly loves, he's decided to follow his heart."

Ethan, standing next to her, had a faint smile on his face too. He sat down beside Sophia, holding her hand with their fingers intertwined.

Ava ignored their little show of affection and asked, "So, do you need me to step aside?"

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "I never said that. Ethan and I talked it over. The Martinez Family can still support you, so no one can accuse him of abandoning his wife. And if you need, I can accept Ethan having a kid with you. After all, you need an heir to your family fortune, right?"

Ethan opened his mouth to speak, but Sophia's last sentence stopped him. His expression shifted several times before he fell silent.

When the family set him up to meet Ava, they made it clear he had to win her over, no matter what she looked like, because she had the Davis Family backing her. Duke Davis' wealth was almost all left to his only daughter. Marrying Ava was a sweet deal.

Ethan liked to think he wasn't someone who chased after money. When he fell for Ava and managed to propose, he was secretly happy he wasn't marrying her for any shady reasons. He didn't care about the money and had no plans to deceive her. But now, his beloved Sophia openly mentioned that Ava needed someone to inherit the estate. He realized that if Ava remained childless, her fortune would revert to the state.

Ethan thought, 'Sophia is so generous and thoughtful, willing to share me with Ava and even consider the future of her rival. But what about Ava? All she does is resort to underhanded tactics like those social climbers and riling up the commoners against me. What good has she ever done?'

However, Ava couldn't help but smile at Sophia's words. "Why do you think I would need such a child?"

"Moreover..." She pointed in Ethan's direction and continued, "A child with his blood."

Ethan didn't expect Ava to talk about him with such disdain. His face darkened, and he said angrily, "Sophia and I are in love. I never intended to be with you. Who are you to be so picky?"

Suddenly, as if he thought of something, he glared at Ava and threatened, "Unless…you're seeing someone else. If you get pregnant with some other man's child, you'd better take care of it. If you dare to give birth and tarnish the Martinez family name, you'll regret it!"

Ava, who had been smiling, suddenly spoke coldly, "Ethan, you'd better watch your words. I am Ava, daughter of Duke Davis. I'm not someone you can slander at will, nor do I stoop to your level of promiscuity."

She looked at the stunned Ethan and continued, "At our wedding, you vowed to love me and only me, but you broke that vow. Now you're making the same promise to Sophia. I don't care if you break your word again, but with your character, how are you qualified to be the father of my child?""

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter