The Queen's Back (Mona and Maxwell)
Chapter 193

"You and I have nothing to talk about. Get out of the way. I want to go home," Ava said coldly.

"Ava, you heard me. I broke up with Chelly. It was an accident that I got together with her. I realize now that the person I truly love is you. I regret it, and I'm wondering if there's still a chance for us," Bud said, looking into Ava's eyes with sincerity. These days without Ava by his side, he always felt that something was missing. He couldn't even eat or sleep well.

Ava heard the words she had always dreamed of hearing. But now that they finally reached her ears, they fell flat, stirring little emotion within her.

It wasn't even as shocking as when she realized Joseph loved her.

Ava exhaled deeply. "Bud, do you remember what I said the last time I saw you?"

Bud frowned as Ava's words echoed in his mind. "So you have a girlfriend? I get it, Bud. In the meantime, I've decided to stop loving you, so you can relax."

Seeing Bud's expression, Ava knew he recalled what she said before. "When I said I gave up on you, if you had chased after me at that time, I would have changed my mind and continued to love you. But you didn't. The fact that you didn't come after me means the bond between us was severed from that point onward."

With those words, Ava felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy stone that had been weighing on her heart had finally shattered.

Bud met Ava's serious gaze, and all he felt was regret.

That would have been great if only he had caught up with her that day, disregarding any so-called criticism for being a scumbag.

"Ava, can you give me another chance? I'll make it up to you," Bud said, reaching for her hand.

But before Bud's hand could touch Ava, she stepped back, creating distance between them.

Ava's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she shook her head. "There's no chance. That was my last opportunity. Since I've decided to let go, I have to commit to that decision completely."

She paused and added, "Besides, Mr. Ray, have you forgotten that I already have a boyfriend?"

After finishing her sentence, she walked around Bud and continued on her way.

As Ava was about to walk away, Bud gently tugged on her arm and asked once more, "Ava, really, can't you give me one more chance?"

Ava glanced down at Bud's hand pulling on her arm. With a heartfelt gesture, she shook Bud's hand off and walked away.

What was missed was missed, and what was decided was decided. There's no need for one more chance.

She had endured so many difficult days and nights alone, but that painful period was now behind her.

Now, she no longer needed Bud.

Bud watched Ava's slender, stubborn back, feeling as if the most important thing in his heart was slipping away-just as it had the last time at his house.

Last time, he hadn't wanted to stop her, and this time, he desperately wanted to keep her but couldn't.

When Mona learned that Ava had been slapped, a day had already passed since the incident.

She immediately called to replace out what had happened.

On the other end of the phone, Ava replied casually, "It's nothing. She slapped me, and I returned the favor. I didn't lose anyway."

Mona knew Ava was not the type to suffer silently. Remembering what Maxwell had said to her, she couldn't help but ask, "Ava, can you really let go of Bud in your heart?"

Ava's silence spoke volumes, but then she replied, "I've really let him go, Mona. You know me I am never one to give up. But once I quit, it's all over."

A few moments later, Ava added, "I'm doing pretty well now. My boyfriend loves me, and you're my best friend. But if I broke up with Joseph and got back together with Bud, I don't think I'd be as happy." Deep down, it seemed she wasn't entirely unwilling to break up with Joseph. She had grown accustomed to his constant chatter in her ear.

Bud had become a thing of the past in her mind.

Hearing what Ava said, Mona felt a pang of sympathy for both Ava and Bud.

But a missed connection was a missed connection.

She could only conclude that Ava and Bud were never meant to be together.

"It's good that you're happy," Mona said sincerely.

To her, Ava's best friend, Ava's happiness was what mattered most, no matter who she was with.

After reminding Ava to talk to herself whenever Ava was in a bad mood, Mona hung up the phone.

Shortly after, she glanced at a message from Nigel about Chelly and fell deep into thought.

The message read that Chelly was actually Chelsea Parrish, Ava's half-sister.

When Soren was taken away by the police, Chelsea didn't die. Instead, with Gordon's help, she received a healthy heart and survived.

Only after Chelsea regained her health did she undergo plastic surgery again, and then she returned from abroad.

At this point in the investigation,

Mona naturally understood that Chelsea's return to the country was motivated by revenge-specifically, revenge for Soren. Otherwise, she wouldn't have changed her name to Chelly and added his last name Sterling to hers. Her first act was to steal Ava's favorite man Bud.

As Mona pondered this, Maxwell walked in and saw her sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. He walked over, sat beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and asked softly, "What's on your mind?" Hearing Maxwell's voice brought Mona back to reality. "I'm trying to understand Chelsea's purpose for coming back home. She shouldn't just be aiming to take Ava's favorite, Bud, and leave it at that."

"It must be more than that," Maxwell

replied. "Back in that foreign country, it was Bud who saved Ava from Soren, which also led to Soren's imprisonment. Even if Bud hadn't mentioned the breakup, Chelsea wouldn't marry him either. She did it purely to hurt both Ava and Bud."

Mona nodded. "So, Bud and Chelsea didn't have anything going on at all that night."

"Exactly. Bud was deceived by Chelsea," Maxwell explained. He sent someone to investigate the hotel. When Chelsea took Bud into the room, he was already unconscious. Bud couldn't have done anything to Chelsea in that state.

It was all a setup by Chelsea, and Bud fell right into it, losing the person he loved. Knowing that Bud was the victim, Mona felt torn about whether to tell Ava.