Chapter 130: To Love and To Hate

I'm shocked to see Ava in here. She's fixing her makeup and looking nothing like the devastated mess she was back out there. I don't move further, at least until she notices my presence. When she tosses the wipes in the trash bin, she faces me and beams.

"Marelyn. You've grown up so much in just a couple of months." Her hands touch my arms, and I arch my brow slightly. Did I miss something?

"I faced enough to last me a lifetime. Congratulations on your coronation. Father would have wanted no one else but you to take after him."

It was a lie. The tight smile on my face already gave me away, but Ava and I know we both hate each others' guts. We can fake it all we want, but the truth will always be at the back of our minds, so as the memories within these walls.

"Oh, please. It's because your sister Ruby isn't with us. Ivan always told me I didn't know what it takes to lead."

I walk over to the sink and turn on the faucet, washing my hands in earnest. "Then show my father in his gr