Chapter 376 Forgiveness

Ava’s POV

After Kenneth’s comforting words, I felt much better. Eleanor and the girls had been trying to contact me continuously, and to keep them from worrying, I replied that I needed some time alone.

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn’t feeling well. Without my mother nearby, the entire space felt filled with sadness. But I had to be strong and overcome the sorrow in my heart.

After showering and getting myself together, I opened my phone while sipping coffee. I messaged Antonio to cancel our dinner plans, making an excuse that we’d reschedule soon. He replied with a cute crying baby sticker.

I considered what to do next, deciding to wait until I resolved the situation with the company.

Soon after, I received a message from the company saying they would process my paperwork today and asked me to come there at two o’clock.

At the scheduled time, a security guard escorted me to the CEO’s conference room.

I walked in to find everyone present, Jace, Nina, Alpha Draven, Beta Ryan, Ruby, Luke, Kyle, Nate, Eleanor, and even investigator Magnus.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down in the chair Alpha Draven indicated for me. I thought about medieval witch hunts, though at least they were being civilized, not burning witches at the stake.

Ironically, I was indeed hiding my witch identity. They were so genuine with me, yet I was deceiving them. Before determining whether my witch status would put my friends in danger, I realized I needed to make a decision today.

“Ava, Caroline isn’t here because she doesn’t know what happened. You know she needs special care during her pregnancy,” Alpha Draven said softly.

“Alpha Draven, please resolve this matter quickly. With two investigators present, should I continue addressing these accusations?” I replied wearily, not wanting any conflict today.

“Ava, aren’t we friends anymore?” Alpha Draven asked quietly. I just looked at him, saying nothing.

“Ava,” Eleanor moved to my side. “We’ve been worried sick about you.”

“Elle, you’re my best friend. But they’re right, I can’t put you in danger,” I sighed, struggling to control my tears. “It’s better if I leave this group. I’ll always keep you in my heart. I’ll pack my things as soon as I leave here.”

“No way!” Eleanor’s tone changed dramatically, taking her characteristic strong stance. “We’d rather drop these fools than end our friendship with you. That includes Caroline and Draven!”

“Elle, nobody’s firing anyone. And Ava isn’t leaving the company or taking a break,” Draven said calmly.

“Ava, I was an asshole,” Jace approached me. “I was an idiot, completely rude, and I had no right to treat you that way. I screwed up. I was angry and took it out on you, but I shouldn’t have done that. I care about Nina, and I care about all of you. Can you forgive me?”

“Don’t forgive him, Ava!” Nina exclaimed passionately, “But I know where your grandmother lives, so I’m planning to follow you there, no matter what you say, because you’re my friend, and whether you like it or not, we’ll always be friends.”

I had been crying bitterly, but Nina’s determination made me laugh through my tears.

“What about the other two idiots, Luke and Beta Ryan? Won’t they say anything?” Kyle smacked Luke on the head.

“Fine, we were complete idiots too,” Beta Ryan admitted.

“Yeah, honey, keep joking around, because Nina and I already packed our bags to go back to Alpha Joseph’s place. He’s already guaranteed our jobs,” Ruby said.

“Ruby, don’t do this. You can’t leave me,” Ryan protested.

“Watch me,” Ruby challenged him.

“Joseph…?” I looked at Elle.

“He would have come, but he had to handle an emergency with his mother,” Eleanor explained.

“Ava, we don’t want you to distance yourself from us,” Alpha Draven held my hand. “And we certainly don’t want you to leave the company. What happened yesterday was foolish and won’t happen again. You need protection, and we’ll take care of you.”

“Ava, I was truly heartbroken yesterday. But today I’m doing what I should have done yesterday. I brought Magnus to help. We want to know about the threats you received, and we’ll investigate this matter,” Jace knelt beside me. “Will you forgive me?”

I looked directly into his eyes and saw his sincere remorse. All of them were genuine. I had been too sensitive, too overwhelmed, too nervous. Everything was a mess. And… I had my own secrets I hadn’t told them. I had no reason not to forgive.

“Of course, Jace. Let’s put this behind us,” I took a deep breath.

“No, we won’t just drop it,” Nina straightened up. “We’ll make you understand that if you keep this up, we’ll cut ties with you forever.”

“I get it, little one,” Jace said. “Ava, no hard feelings?”

“Don’t worry about it, Jace. I’m sorry too. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately with everything happening,” he hugged me, and I hugged him back.

“So much has happened, and you won’t talk to us, Ava,” Kyle complained. “You can’t expect us to only be part of your life when things are good. We love you, and we’re your friends, through good times and bad.”

“Ava, you’re shutting us out again. You can’t keep doing this,” Eleanor gently reprimanded me.

“Oh, I’m sorry, girls,” I suddenly burst into tears, and the girls hugged me tightly until I calmed down a bit.

“So am I forgiven?” Ryan approached and asked.

“Yes, you too,” I answered.

“What about me?” Alpha Draven asked.

“Of course,” I smiled, wiping away tears.

“Then there’s no way to leave the company,” Alpha Draven said. “Same goes for Nina and Ruby.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha Draven,” I took a deep breath, “but I don’t want to return to work at the company right now. I need time to figure some things out.”

Everyone fell silent. Eleanor spoke first, “Ava, do you mean…”

“I’m not punishing anyone,” I quickly explained, “I just need time to sort out my thoughts. So much has happened recently, and I feel like a mess.”

“What do you plan to do?” Alpha Draven asked gently.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly, “I need to figure out what kind of life I want.”

“Ava, you could take a leave of absence. Why leave completely?” Nina asked worriedly.

“Because…” I paused, thinking of Kenneth’s invitation, “because sometimes distance gives you a clearer perspective.”

“Where will you go?” Eleanor asked.

“I haven’t decided completely, but I have some options,” I answered vaguely, not wanting to reveal Kenneth’s offer.

Alpha Draven frowned, “Ava, I don’t recommend you leave alone until your safety issues are resolved.”

“I’ll be fine,” I assured him, “and maybe this is better for everyone. Isaac’s threats are mainly directed at me. If I leave, everyone else will be safe.”

“That is absolutely not the solution!” Jace immediately objected.

“But maybe it’s the best option right now,” I insisted. “I need this time. Please understand.”