Divorce me I'm done serving you (Ayla) novel Chapter 18

**TITLE: Unwritten Feelings Drift by Austen**
**Chapter 18: An Unexpected Neighbor**

Halle had always carried a weight in her heart, a nagging worry about the challenges her best friend faced in life. Yet today, an unexpected sense of relief washed over her. She felt a newfound ease, a lightness that had been absent for too long.

However, her sense of calm was abruptly shattered by the sight that greeted her. A dining table, stretching an impressive ten feet, was engulfed in a chaotic sea of files and Ayla’s disheveled notes, which appeared to be written in a language only decipherable to Ayla herself. It was a veritable fortress of academic chaos.

The study was no better; it was a mountain of materials, teetering precariously. Halle couldn’t help but feel a wave of intimidation wash over her. She had never been one to revel in academia; her journey began right after college with the launch of her own company. Now, standing amidst this overwhelming technical data, her head spun, and all she could muster was a hearty thumbs-up for Ayla, a silent salute to her friend’s dedication.

“Later, I’ll need to use your lab to run some tests,” Ayla announced, her voice filled with determination.

Halle pondered for a moment, her mind racing through her packed schedule. “Why don’t you bring along that mysterious senior who refuses to share her name? I’d love to size her up and see what she’s really made of,” she suggested, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Ayla’s brow furrowed, her expression turning serious. “Isn’t that a bit disrespectful?”

Halle shrugged, her demeanor casual. “If she wants to meet me, she must have a reason. It’s just a normal part of business, testing each other’s capabilities,” she replied, her confidence unwavering.

“From my years of dealing with people, anyone who hides their name is either the real deal, like you, or just pretending. I’m betting on the latter,” Ayla remarked, her voice laced with skepticism.

Halle, with her extensive experience in the business world, recognized the truth in Ayla’s words, but she had learned to trust her instincts. Ayla simply nodded, accepting Halle’s perspective.

That evening, Halle had a business dinner to attend. After a brief tour of Ayla’s new place, she reluctantly prepared to leave.

Her driver stood patiently near the front gate, waiting for her signal.

Ayla accompanied her down the stairs, and just before Halle slipped into the car, she turned to her friend with an encouraging smile. “Ayla, look at you! You’ve got a beautiful house, a car, savings, and a career that lights you up. Your life is just beginning, and I truly believe in you. One day, we’ll be rich together,” she declared, her tone light yet filled with sincerity.

The casualness of Halle’s words hit Ayla like a thunderbolt. For a moment, she was struck silent, the weight of Halle’s belief in her settling deep within her. Finally, she managed to respond, her voice steady but serious, “Yeah. We will get rich together.”

Unable to contain her affection, Halle enveloped Ayla in a warm hug before stepping into the car.

As Halle drove away, Ayla felt an unexpected lightness, a buoyancy that had been missing for days. The bitter memories from the racetrack faded into the background, overshadowed by the warmth of Halle’s words.

In her newfound good spirits, she decided to stop by the supermarket, picking up fresh ingredients to whip up a delightful meal for herself.

Ding—

The elevator doors slid open at the top floor of Building 7.

With heavy bags of groceries in tow, Ayla stepped out, her movements light and buoyant despite the weight she carried.

There were only two units on her floor. She resided in Unit 1 and had never once crossed paths with her neighbor.

But today, fate had other plans; the neighbor’s door stood wide open, revealing the owner in the midst of receiving a delivery.

Typically, Ayla would respect the boundaries of their neighborly relationship and not intrude, but with this unexpected encounter, she felt compelled to at least offer a nod of acknowledgment.

As the delivery guy turned to leave, Ayla’s heart stopped.

Her neighbor was none other than Draven?

It was already a remarkable twist of fate to have encountered him at the racetrack, but now she discovered that he lived right next door?

Ayla wished it were a figment of her imagination.

But the man standing there, tall and imposing, was unmistakably Draven.

She tightened her grip on her grocery bags, her heart racing.

Though she hadn’t fully made up her mind, Martin’s call came through first, his voice brimming with concern as he inquired about her health and urged her to visit.

Ayla had planned to wait until she held the divorce certificate in her hands before making any announcements.

Since the certificate wasn’t ready, she decided to play along for now.

That had always been the strategy.

Martin coughed during their conversation, his voice raspy yet warm. If she visited the estate, Ayla could easily justify it as a check on his well-being.

After all, he was the only one in that family who had ever treated her with kindness.

Sure enough, by the afternoon, her phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Troy on WhatsApp.

“5:30 p.m. Wait at the bottom of the mountain.”

The estate was perched on a hill outside the city, where the air was perpetually fresh and invigorating.

Each time, Troy instructed her to wait at the foot of the hill, where he would swing by to pick her up and drive her the rest of the way.

It would have been simpler for Troy to pick her up directly.

But that would mean taking a longer route, and he despised the hassle, so he preferred to make her wait instead.

At precisely 5:20 p.m., Ayla arrived at the bus stop at the base of the mountain, ten minutes ahead of schedule.

The rain had poured all day, and with the mountain looming nearby, the air felt considerably cooler than in the city. As night approached, the temperature dropped even further, and the wind began to pick up, sending a chill through her bones.