Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 41: The Mask of Innocence

After causing a ruckus, Aveline returned to Blackwood Residence with her family. Watching Aveline easily walking around, grabbing an apple, and skipping upstairs, Margaret finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I’m not sending her back," Margaret announced before retreating to her bedroom.

Henry didn’t plan to either. Unless Damien got a clean check, he would rather keep Aveline home than feed her to the demons of Ashfords.

Charles, watching his father’s worn-out face, offered, "Dad, I will handle the company. Stay with Lina."

Henry nodded, "Call me if anything serious. Mike will assist you." With that, he headed to the bedroom too.

At breakfast, everyone started eating, but Aveline didn’t dare to touch the pancakes or porridge the chef had made for her.

She had faked uneasiness the night before to skip dinner. Now her hand simply wouldn’t move.

"Lina..." Henry called gently.

Margaret immediately understood. Before leaving the hospital, Dr. Amelia had explained Aveline’s PTSD and the need for the therapy. She stood, patting her daughter’s arm. "Let’s go. We’ll make your favorite salad."

Aveline nodded and followed her mother to the open kitchen.

Henry and Charles watched her closely as she hesitantly observed how to prepare the salad, following Margaret’s patient instructions.

"Isn’t this her first time in the kitchen?" Charles asked, watching her fumble with the different kinds of knives and the juicer.

"Because of that bastard’s incompetence," Henry muttered, "Now Lina has to learn cooking." He spoiled his daughter, raised her standards high, and now here she was, frowning at the noise of the blender.

"It’s alright, let her learn the basics." Charles tried to ease his father.

But Henry snapped, "I didn’t indulge her all these years to make her stand in the kitchen."

Charles raised his hands in surrender and sighed as Henry settled.

Charles had learned to cook back in university. Aveline, however, had always had people handling everything, from cooking to cleaning. Henry made sure neither Margaret nor Aveline ever lacked a single comfort.

...

After breakfast, Aveline followed Charles, nearly giving her mother a heart attack.

"Lina, you just got discharged. You need rest." Margaret scolded.

Henry agreed, "Lina, your health should be your priority. Work can wait."

Aveline tried to reason her way out, "Dad, Mom, I asked the doctor. I can work, just not overexert. And I don’t want to lie in bed overthinking. Work keeps me occupied. It’s good for my mental health."

Margaret offered an alternative, "We’ll go to the spa."

"Mom..." Aveline groaned.

"Shopping then. You don’t have enough clothes here."

Aveline looked pleadingly at her father, "Please..." She stood straighter and raised her three fingers, "I promise not to exhaust myself. I... I will sit in bro’s office."

Charles refrained from smiling at her act.

This time, Henry stopped Margaret, "Alright. I will come with you."

"I’m coming too," Margaret added firmly.

Aveline: "..."

Charles went to the company while Henry and Margaret brought Aveline to the station to give her statement.

Looking as innocent as she could, Aveline answered every question truthfully about her relationship with Damien, the whirlwind wedding, the household dynamics, and Walter’s behavior.

Then came the questions about Vivienne.

Aveline shared how Vivienne once blocked her car in the parking lot, mistaking her for someone else. She hadn’t spoken to or met her before that.

She waited while the police retrieved footage from PowerLunchers and answered a second round of questions. What they said, whose car she was driving. She gave nothing but the truth.

Near the end, she asked with a hint of confusion, "Why are you asking about the model? Damien meets her because she’s Ashford Holdings’ brand ambassador. Maybe these rumors are publicity stunts by the model."

A cop hesitated. "You’re not suspicious that your husband might have an affair?"

Aveline shook her head. "He hardly has time for me. Where would he get time for an affair?"

The officers exchanged glances. Their overnight investigation had already revealed that Damien and Vivienne frequently visited Obsidian at the same time. Still, they didn’t press further as it could be a coincidence.

"Shall I take Damien home?" Aveline asked to learn how long he would be held there.

"Until we get Vivienne Sinclair’s statement, your husband stays." A cop responded firmly.

She frowned, but nodded in understanding. "I’d like to meet him. Please... just ten minutes."

The cops found her naive but agreed, "Just ten minutes. A cop will be outside the door."

...

From the monitor room, Aveline observed Damien. His blazer and vest were tossed aside. Sleeves rolled, hair raked through probably numerous times. Breakfast on the table was untouched, his face was worn and grim.

She wasn’t satisfied. He had done far worse to her father and brother when he ruined Laurent Industries with multiple cases from the clients. Her fingers curled tightly, unable to wipe the memory of it.

She turned to the officers, "I..."

They nodded her in.

Aveline entered the room and exhaled, "Damien..."

He stood up, his expression shifting to concern. He crossed the room fast and embraced her.

Aveline stiffened, revolted. But with the officers watching, she pinched her arm and let herself cry. "I don’t know what’s happening, Damien. I didn’t mean for this..."

He shushed her, "Shhh...." Cupping her face gently, his eyes studied every twitch on her face. The rims of her eyes were pink, her chin was shaking, and she looked all miserable.

"How are you? Why are you here, Nina? You should be in the hospital. Don’t worry about me. Just get better."

She wiped her tears and shook her head. "I don’t understand. Why would the housekeeper poison me? Did I ever do wrong to him? Why-why are they holding you?" She combed his hair and adjusted his shirt like a concerned wife.

Even the spectators were stunned.

Damien suppressed a grin when he heard her. As long as she didn’t suspect him, he had control. "Nina, Nina..." He stopped her from working up. "I’ll be out soon. Until then, you need to be careful..."

The doors burst open.

Henry stormed in and punched Damien hard across the face.

Aveline expected it, but the impact stunned even her when Damien stumbled on his feet.

She quickly held Henry’s arm before he charged again, "Dad, he is innocent." She cried a lie.

Damien reeled. His own father never dared lay a hand on him, and Henry? Henry Laurent just made this war personal.

Henry ignored her and sneered at Damien, "I was happy thinking you were treating my daughter better than me. Look at you standing there, fine, while my daughter was being poisoned right under your nose."

"Let’s go, Lina." He grabbed her hand and marched out.

She cast one last tearful glance back at Damien as she was dragged away.

Damien stared after them. He licked the lips, tasting the blood Gebry left behind. Then he smiled slowly as a twisted smile formed on his face.

He poisoned her because of Vivienne. ’Now they’ve made it personal.’

His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened. He turned away from the door.

’I’ll make them beg me to take their daughter back. And then their precious, dumb daughter will live in hell.’