Ex-Husband’s Regret by Evelyn M.M novel Chapter 416

“Hi” for some weird reason, I squeaked the word.

Coming face to face with Ava was like coming face to face with your secret crush. I was all of a sudden sweaty and nervous.

Instead of answering, she pulled me into a tight hug. It was a warm hug. It felt like hugging a soft and fluffy teddy bear.

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Harper. Welcome to the family” she whispered right before she stepped away.

Gabriel then led me to the out-door setup that had multiple foods on the table. He moved me so that I was sitting right beside him.

Did he get that I hated his proximity for a reason?

Within seconds, everyone was digging in.

“So, Harper, what do you do?” Gabriel’s mom asked.

I swallowed, when everyone turned to look. I hated it when attention was focused on me.

“I’m an interior designer,” I replied, while trying to maintain eye contact.

If there was one thing my mother taught me, it’s that eye contact was important, especially when it came to people from our world. The rich and influential viewed avoiding eye contact as a sign of weakness. My mother instilled in us to never show that weakness, no matter what.

“That’s just perfect,” Ava added. “I’ve been dying to change things in a few of the Hope houses. Maybe you can help with that.”

Lilly, ever the curious little thing, catches that quickly. “What are Hope houses?”

“They’re homes my mom funded to help children who were less fortunate.” Noah is the one that answers. “She’s the founder of The Hope Foundation and those houses give the children she helps a place to call home.”

Noah was smiling, and you could see just how proud he was of his mother. You could also see the love he had for her. It seemed that both father and son loved Ava unconditionally.

Lilly frowns, but then her face clears as if a light bulb just went on in her mind.

“I know about the Hope Foundation. It’s one of the biggest children’s foundations in the country. No one knew who the founder is for the longest time.”

Everyone just stares at Lilly like she’s an alien from space. I, on the other hand, was quite proud of my daughter’s extensive knowledge.

“No wonder you looked so familiar,” Lilly told Ava. “You’re Ava Sharp, though you changed your last name. Your foundation is worth millions of dollars and you’re the richest woman in the country and the six richest overall.”

Damn she was good… That’s the thing about Lilly, she takes in information like a sponge absorbs water. Anything to do with money, Lilly probably knows all about it.

“How do you know about all this, sweetheart?” Gabriel’s dad asked after the shock wore off.