Chapter 6

As Ava's words fell, the air in the office turned abruptly heavy. Katherine clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles turned white. A few days ago, she had wondered why Liam only used medication to control her instead of completely destroying her hearing. Now, she finally understood. They were afraid that if she truly lost her hearing, she wouldn't be able to compose the beautiful songs that supported Ava. Liam sat on the couch, frowning as he looked at Katherine's small, delicate frame. After three years together, he knew better than anyone how much she longed to regain her hearing. The thought of permanently taking that hope from her stirred an inexplicable ache and reluctance deep in his chest. The feeling was strange. He lowered his gaze, suppressing the odd emotion, and said coldly, "After your new album is released, we'll talk about it." "Exactly," Lucas said, standing beside Katherine. "If she's deafened, we'll still need to coax her into writing songs for you. We'd better be prepared." Ava rolled her eyes. "What's there to prepare? From what I've heard, she's been completely obedient these past three years. All you have to do is wave your hand, and she comes running." Her words left Liam and Lucas visibly uneasy. After a brief silence, Lucas suggested they all head downstairs to the company restaurant for lunch. At the table, Liam and Lucas lavished attention on Ava, piling every dish she liked in front of her. Meanwhile, Katherine had only a modest plate of mashed potatoes and a small portion of salad. After the meal, Liam stepped out to take a call, and Lucas went downstairs to settle the bill. The large private room was left with only Ava and Katherine. "Katherine," Ava said, sliding into the seat beside her. "Do you remember me?" Katherine kept her eyes on her phone, absorbed in a puzzle game, and ignored her. "I'm not Suzy. I'm Ava," she added, glancing at her calm profile. "I'm the same Ava from three years ago who threw you in the lake, locked you in the bathroom, and ran you and Natasha Thorne over with my car. Didn't you say you'd take me to court and make me pay?" Believing Katherine couldn't hear her, Ava leaned in and mocked her freely. "I've had surgery and changed my name. Even if you actually had evidence, there's nothing you could do to me. And besides…" She sneered, letting the words sink in. "Liam and Lucas have secretly erased every piece of evidence you had over the past three years!" Katherine kept her eyes on the game, but anger simmered inside her. She had searched for those files, but they were gone. She thought she had lost them, but Liam and Lucas had quietly destroyed them. For Ava, they would do anything. "How pathetic," Ava continued, staring at her coldly. "For three years, every song you wrote while deaf was taken by me and made into hit after hit. When you find out, will it break you the same way it did three years ago?" She took a delicate sip from her teacup and added, "The Sawyer brothers are idiots too. I casually said I was innocent, and they didn't just believe me—they went out of their way to torment you for my sake!" "Ms. Robertson." Only after Ava had poured out all her venom did Katherine lift her head, looking at her with an innocent, puzzled expression. "Did you just say something?" Ava froze, suddenly realizing she had just been talking to a deaf person for so long. A cold snort escaped her. Just as she was about to rise and leave, familiar footsteps echoed down the corridor. Ava raised an eyebrow, and a flicker of malice flashed in her eyes. She shoved the nearby table aside, grabbed Katherine's hand, and pressed it against her own neck while screaming, "Help!" The door to the private room burst open. Lucas stormed in and froze at the sight of Katherine's hands on Ava's neck. "Ava!" He dashed forward in an instant, yanking Katherine away and throwing her to the side. "Ava, are you okay?" With a thud, Katherine's slender body hit the floor hard. "Lucas…" Ava bit her lip, her tear-streaked face filled with fear. "After you left, I ignored her, but she kept saying it was unfair that you two took care of me and served me food while no one cared about her. She tried to kill me..." "Don't worry. Everything's alright now." Katherine lay sprawled on the floor, unable to move through the sharp pain. She crawled to Lucas and clutched his pant leg, pleading, "I didn't push her. Please, take me to the hospital. I feel awful…" "What's that got to do with me?" Lucas said, kicking her aside like she was dirt. Katherine's frail body slammed into the leg of a table, sending sharp pain through her lower abdomen. "If anything happens to Ava today, I swear I'll kill you!" Lucas scooped Ava into his arms and stormed out of the room. Katherine lay on the floor as a sudden warmth spread between her legs. She froze, instinctively reaching down, and recoiled in shock when she realized it was blood. Then it hit her. The condom had broken while she was with Lucas two months ago, and her period was already overdue. Just then, Liam returned. "What's going on?" Lucas frowned, shooting Katherine a look of disgust. "She got jealous and actually tried to lay hands on Ava!" Liam's eyes landed on Katherine, who was sprawled on the floor. She weakly called out, "Liam, help me! I think I—" However, he didn't even glance at her. He followed Lucas, fussing over Ava as if she were the only thing that mattered. As they walked away, Katherine closed her eyes, feeling herself drifting into unconsciousness.