The Strongest Curse Master-Chapter 148: Ava’s Resolve

" —Grow up!"

Ace flinched at Ava’s words but stood his ground, locking eyes with her, unwilling to back down. His voice was calm but firm as he replied, "Since you already know my answer, let’s just part ways and stay acquaintances, like in the past."

For a moment, Ava stared at him, her fiery determination flickering with hurt. Ace held her gaze steadily, refusing to take the coward’s way out. Despite her beauty, loyalty, and the fact that she had stood up for him, too much history stood between them—wounds that hadn’t fully healed and scars he couldn’t ignore.

Besides, Ace had planned to use Dame Wasp’s help. His plan was to have her hack into the Rural Revival’s systems to track down the volunteer who handed Pam the duffle bag. From there, he would dig deeper, hacking into the electronic devices of the volunteer and the Rockworths to uncover the truth. Something didn’t add up—how could someone "misplace" an expensive handbag containing nearly 40 pounds of gold? Brooke didn’t seem like such a klutz. The entire situation reeked of suspicion, but Ace knew better than to jump to conclusions without solid evidence. So, even without Ava’s help he would have cleared his name.

As Ace mulled over his thoughts, Ava’s simmering frustration reached its boiling point. Hearing his indifferent tone and composed demeanor, she snapped. Enraged, she shoved him hard, shouting, "You want to be friends after rejecting me and publicly humiliating me?"

When Ace barely budged, her anger intensified. She grabbed him by the collar, her fiery gaze boring into his. "Give me back my kiss!" she yelled, pulling him closer as she leaned in to kiss him again.

Ace remained calm, gently pressing the back of his palm against her mouth to stop her. "Ava, I’m sorry," he said softly, his tone steady but empathetic. "I know it’s not easy to confess your feelings to someone, only to learn they don’t feel the same way. But you’ll get over it soon. And if hating me helps you move on faster, that’s fine too."

Ava’s frustration and embarrassment only grew. Unable to swat his hand away, she stepped back, her fists trembling. In her disappointment and sorrow, she lashed out, swinging her arms wildly at him. "You think you know me? You don’t!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "And don’t be delusional—I never expressed any feelings to you! I would never fall for a loser like you. Loser!"

Ace sighed, his expression softening as he took a step back. "You’re clearly distressed and hurting right now. So, I’m going to walk away," he said quietly, his tone free of judgment. He turned to leave, but Ava wasn’t done.

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Consumed by a whirlwind of emotions, she began hitting and kicking his back, her screams echoing across the clearing. "You coward! Loser!" she yelled, her strikes more fueled by pain than force.

Layla and the adults, alarmed by the commotion, rushed over. Layla quickly pulled Ava away from Ace, who walked away with his shoulders slumping slightly as he exhaled deeply. Ava struggled against their grip, tears of frustration streaming down her face, while the crowd exchanged uneasy glances.

Before Mary could say anything, Ace gently held her arm and led her away, his voice calm as he said, "It’s nothing, Mom. She confessed to me and I told her—I’m not interested in her, and clearly, her feelings were hurt." Pam and Danny followed closely behind, their footsteps echoing in the quiet as they made their way toward the school gate. They’d had more than enough drama for one night.

As they walked, Danny look at his cousin, confusion evident in his expression. "Ace, why aren’t you interested in her? She’s freaking hot," he asked, his tone equal parts curiosity and disbelief.

Mary and Pam perked up, their ears tuning in for Ace’s response. Both women were caught off guard when he nonchalantly replied, "Mandy’s hotter."

Their jaws dropped, but before they could react, Ace quickly added with a mischievous grin, "I’m kidding, relax."

"Typical men," Pam muttered, rolling her eyes. Ignoring Ace’s attempt at humor, she continued, "Ava is strong-willed and clearly fearless. You men love the idea of strong women, but when it comes to actually dating one, you can’t handle it when your masculinity is challenged. Take your uncle, for example. He would never let a woman drive him! When he got his vasectomy, he wouldn’t let me drive him home, he stubbornly drove himself home in pain, and I was terrified for our lives."

"Mom!" Danny exclaimed, his face turning red with embarrassment.

"What?" Pam shrugged, unfazed. "I’m just saying, even though your dad’s all about that macho ’I’m the man’ nonsense, when it comes to doing the right thing, he doesn’t hesitate. You two could learn from that. Honestly, I kind of liked that Ava girl—especially the way she stood up for you. It was cool. I bet Mandy would love her too."

Mary nodded in agreement. "Son, she seemed like a good girl," she said softly, her gaze lingering on Ace. "She still looked like she is crying. Are you sure about this?"

Ace stopped in his tracks, staring at his mother in shock. "Mom, are you really the same woman who raised me?" he asked incredulously, shaking his head. Ever since their family’s net worth had climbed into the tens of millions and achieved a form of financial security, he had noticed that his once-strict mother had softened considerably.

Mary shot him a sharp glare, and Ace immediately raised his hands in defense. "I mean, there’s just too much history between us," he explained quickly. "And besides…" He glanced at Pam and gave her a sheepish smile. "Auntie Pam is right—she’s way too much, I can’t handle her."

…

"He’s such a loser. Look at him! I hit him so many times, but he didn’t hit me back even once. He didn’t even get angry—what a loser," Ava muttered, her voice trembling as she stared at Ace’s fading silhouette. She tried hard to hold back the tears streaming down her flushed cheeks, the cold night air making them sting even more. But the chill was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

"Yes, such a loser. Clearly, he’s not worthy of our Ava," Layla agreed with Ava knowing that was the best way to console and clam her down. Gently pulling Ava into a comforting hug. She stroked Ava’s back in slow, soothing circles. The Martins exchanged concerned glances. Principal Martin, in particular, couldn’t help but feel uneasy. His little girl was growing up too fast, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for it.

"No, he’s not a loser," Ava sobbed, her voice muffled against Layla’s shoulder. "If he were, he would have hit me back or yelled at me. Instead, he walked away. He was so considerate, even when I called him names and hit him. Layla…" Her voice cracked as she looked up, tears staining Layla’s dark blazer. "Why won’t he like me?"

Layla sighed, brushing a few strands of Ava’s hair from her damp face. "Honestly, you come off too strong," she said hesitantly, trying to tread carefully. "Maybe you should try being more girly for a change—"

Ava abruptly pulled out of Layla’s embrace, her tear-filled eyes blazing with determination. "It’s because I’m weaker than him," she declared. "If I were stronger, I could make him like me."

"Wait, what?" Layla blinked in surprise, her brows furrowing. "How did you come to that conclusion? I don’t think it works like that—"

"It worked for my mom," Ava interrupted with a firmness that left no room for doubt. "So, it’ll work for me too."

Layla opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself, sighing as she realized Ava wouldn’t be swayed. Principal Martin, however, shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Ava’s mother. His nephews and nieces exchanged amused glances, their lips twitching as they tried not to laugh. He resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands, thinking grimly, ’How did we get here?’

"Hello, Mom. I want to get stronger like you," Ava said firmly, her voice carrying newfound determination. She had made up her mind and wasted no time in reaching out for help.

On the other end of the line, EAD Matthews’ voice brightened with excitement. "I’ve been waiting for this. I thought you would never ask!" she exclaimed, barely able to hide her enthusiasm. She had always hoped to train her daughter but had held back when Ava began rebelling, accusing her of making her so strong that every boy she met was too intimidated to approach her.

"Well, here’s the plan," Ava’s mother continued, her tone brisk yet affectionate. "Layla will be your instructor for a few days while Mommy works on finding someone to take over her current duties. Once I’ve sorted that out, I will rush home to officially begin your training." EAD Matthews could not wait to return home.

"Great, mom!"