Divorce me I'm done serving you (Ayla) novel Chapter 258

This was a test.

Draven was trying to break down that wall.

Showing your inner vulnerability to another person takes immense courage, and even more trust.

Because everyone has things they'll never say out loud. Keeping up appearances is something every adult learns to do.

Real wounds are meant to be faced alone.

If no one sees your weakness, you can still protect yourself.

So Ayla wasn't sure whether to be honest with Draven.

Ayla looked carefully at Draven. Being examined this closely put pressure on her.

But even with him standing right in front of her, she still felt she couldn't see through him, couldn't grasp what he was really thinking. She had no idea.

Ayla wasn't someone who was good at expressing herself. Just like Halle said, no matter what happened, she preferred to process it alone. She could manage her own emotions. People like that were actually very strong, with real resolve and quiet charm. But the holes and cracks deep inside could only be faced alone.

Precisely because she could face them, that meant she was remarkable. Not everyone could do that. Which was why getting someone strong to show weakness was incredibly difficult.

Ayla had to admit that, at least for now, she didn't trust Draven enough—at least not enough to face him without holding anything back.

Because she didn't really know his heart either.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Storm. This really isn't a big deal. I don't want to talk about it."

Ayla defended herself with emotional distance, pushing back against his test. That wall that had seemed on the verge of collapsing suddenly became unbreakable again.

Ayla turned and walked away.

She knew Draven was definitely watching her.

But if she didn't want to talk about something, she wouldn't. No one could force her.

After getting home, Ayla called Halle, but she didn't pick up.

Ayla figured Halle was busy and didn't call again.

...

Max waited for two hours and still didn't see Ayla come out. By then, it was already late at night. The bars were lively at that hour. Max usually loved crowds, but his mood was crap, so he wasn't feeling it.

He headed to a quieter club to shoot some pool and watch a game.

Max didn't expect to run into Troy there.

Max wasn't about to spill anything when he had no certainty.

Maybe tonight had shaken him more than he realized. He'd wanted some time alone, but instead ran into Troy, and some words slipped out without thinking.

Still, anything could be smoothed over.

"I went to James's new place today and ran into her," Max said casually, taking a sip and setting his glass on the edge of the table. "So I was just a bit curious. How did you feel after the divorce?"

Before Troy could answer, Isabella's call came through.

"Mr. Winston, I've finished investigating Ayla and Halle!"

Isabella was going all out to seize this opportunity. The moment Troy gave her the task, she acted immediately. Compared to racing information, Ayla and Halle were much easier to look into. The details came together quickly.

"Ayla and Halle were college friends. They were very close. But after graduation, they lost touch for quite a while. It wasn't until a month ago that they started seeing each other frequently again."

Of course, Isabella wouldn't stop at such dry facts.

Troy wanted Ayla investigated, which meant certain timelines mattered.

"Halle owns a tech company called ZeitTech. Three years ago, she launched the LugiX AI large model. She made her first fortune with that technology, then expanded aggressively. Her investments have performed very well, and her net worth is now over ten billion dollars."