Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 52

Chapter 52 What They Now Know 

Finished 

Ryan broke the silence first. “What you should really worry about is how many guys will be staring at her. 

Silence swept the room. A moment later, Laurent released a chilling laugh. “Anyone feeling brave enough can try.” 

Mason’s lip twitched. “This forced match already pushes my limit. Five is all I can stand.” 

Keith lifted his glass with a helpless shrug. “Funny. That number also works for me.” 

Ethan’s eyes crinkled with a faint smile. “Sounds about right.” 

Ryan scoffed, already picturing flies swarming around honey. “Let them come. I’d like to see who’s dumb enough.” 

Their gazes locked across the table. No one spoke, yet an unspoken agreement settled between them. 

Mason leaned forward. “I didn’t pull you all out here tonight for nothing. There’s something about Ava you should know. The Morrens didn’t tell everyone. Louis slipped, and Cassius filled in the blanks. 

“Ava isn’t Morren by blood; she was adopted. That fact isn’t hidden. What they kept secret is where she was raised. 

The room tightened. 

“She spent her childhood in the Underworld.” 

Shock rippled through them. 

Mason continued, “She was abandoned as a newborn and found in a trash dump. She didn’t escape until she was twelve, when her grandfather took her and fled. They later moved to Alamut Planet. 

“She declined government guardianship and remained with him until college. Given her scores, any university on Capitol Planet would have admitted her, but she opted for Alayna Planet because the offer was more sensible.” 

Ryan’s face drained, and his voice jumped. “The Underworld? How does a baby even end up in a place like that?” 

Ethan frowned. “What did the Morrens say?” 

Mason explained, “They asked if she wanted to trace her past, but Ava shut it down. She doesn’t want it touched. If a case like that gets reopened, what do you think happens?” 

Ethan considered. “Abandonment already entails severe penalties, and abandoning a baby girl is even worse. I’ve never seen a case like that, either in practice or law. Plus, there’s no specific law for it. If it ever goes to court, it would only be prosecuted under general abandonment statutes.” 

He mentioned, “She’s an adult. Unless she initiates it herself, the courts can’t step in.” 

Keith leaned forward. “The Morrens have people in the police unit. They didn’t dig anything up?” 

1/2 

15:50 Thu, Jan 8 G 

Chapter 52 What They Now Know 

67 

Finished 

“They reviewed the old records and found no reports of missing infants. There was nothing at all. Once Ava refused, they stopped.” Frustration crept into Mason’s voice. “She may look calm, but she’s stubborn. Once she makes up her mind, she won’t budge.” 

Keith shook his head, unable to understand how Ava could stay so calm and never question her past. “They didn’t try harder?” 

Mason sighed. “They tried, but she’s got her own code. Consider this entire situation–she was resolutely trying to avoid the Match Bureau’s imposed match, yet she simply couldn’t succeed.” 

He took out a cigarette, rolled it between his fingers, then dropped it into the trash untouched. 

“This noon, she asked me to call off the marriage. She wasn’t joking. Initially, I thought she was just acting tough, but then I realized–she opposes the entire one–wife, multiple–husbands system. She doesn’t state it straight but hides behind excuses and even tears herself down, as if trying to prove she’s not worth keeping.” 

What she lived through as a kid still shows. Even the Morrens don’t know the half of it. Mason’s jaw set. “With her, nothing runs straight. So, tell me what do you think?” 

Ethan spoke first, “That fits. She also tried to dissuade us, offering to write explanations if future wives feel uncomfortable. Her guard stays up, and she worries too much. She’s compassionate but has a strong sense of morality, unlike most people today.” 

Laurent adjusted his cuff, thoughtful. “She’s perceptive and blushes easily. She just returned to the Morren family, and it’s clear she’s afraid of bringing trouble to them.” 

Keith rested his chin in his palm, amused. “Kind, good with people, sharp eye for art. Small temper and stubborn streak.” 

Mason looked around. “Ava clarified one point. She only agrees to a marriage on paper until she genuinely accepts us. No commitments. She plans to continue studying and won’t abandon her job.” 

Ryan rubbed his nose, feeling oddly offended. “She’s only twenty–five–barely an adult. Isn’t that thinking way too far ahead? Who’s in such a rush to pursue someone just crossing into adulthood?” 

15:50 Thu, Jan 8