Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 140

Chapter 140 Suspicions Beneath the Smile 

Finished 

Ava held Jane’s hand, her gaze steady and resolute. “Jane, I’m just sitting with Ms. Clark for a bit, nothing more than basic courtesy as a host. Nothing to worry about. Besides, Ms. Clark came on behalf of the Clark family to congratulate me on my coming–of–age party. She knows where to draw the line, and as the person involved, I should at least make my stance clear.” 

Jane’s lips moved as if she wanted to say more, but in the end, she let go and watched Ava walk after Tylissa, her hands hanging at her sides clenched tightly into a fist. 

“What exactly is Tylissa trying to pull?” Mireya muttered quietly. “Ava’s only just returned to Capitol Planet not long ago, and today was her first proper appearance. She couldn’t have offended her, right?” 

Caela slowly shook her head. “Probably not. But it just hit me–Tylissa seemed to have approached Justice Brock earlier, and he brushed her off pretty coldly. Do you suppose… When Jane went to look for Ava earlier, Ava happened to be talking to them.” 

“No way. Over that?” Roxy gasped, her jaw agape. “Besides, Ava was just chatting with them for a 

moment…” 

Tylissa sat squarely on the center couch, while Ava took a seat on a nearby chair, the distance between them clear and deliberate. 

“May I call you Ava?” Tylissa asked with a smile. “Calling you Ms. Ava feels a bit too distant.” 

“Ava will do. We’re different. While I’m a young lady of the Morren family, it’s not by blood. I was only adopted by my grandfather,” Ava answered, looking squarely at Tylissa’s eyes. “You were born into privilege, a true darling of fate. You and I are different. No need to deliberately befriend me, Ms. Clark.” 

Tylissa looked at her in surprise, stunned that Ava would be so straightforward. 

Of course, she had already looked into Ava’s background–she knew Ava had been an abandoned infant, merely fortunate enough to be adopted by Patrick, an essential member of the elite Morren family. 

The elder had wandered for years due to amnesia and had only regained his memories not long ago, but fate hadn’t been kind to him. The moment he recovered, he lost his life. 

Tylissa adjusted her expression. “Are you blaming me for teasing Jane earlier? Alright, I’ll admit I do have a bit of ulterior motive. But Jane seems rather hostile toward me, and I truly don’t know how I’d offended her. I honestly can’t make sense of it.” 

1/3 

13:15 Wed, Jan 14 

Chapter 140 Suspicions Beneath the Smile 

68 

Finished 

Ava rested both hands on her knees, her left index finger lightly tracing the embroidered butterfly on her skirt. “Ms. Clark, relationships between people depend on chemistry and compatibility. Everyone can like no one, and no one can be hated by everyone either. 

“There are already so many people who like you. My cousin has a very straightforward personality—she’s blunt to a fault. If she were to become friends with you, she might not even understand half of what you say. Why force something like that?” 

Tylissa found herself reassessing this newly introduced Morren daughter. If they hadn’t met in this world, perhaps they might have become friends. 

“I heard that you’ve awakened elemental power–something unprecedented,” Tylissa said with a smile. She opened her control panel and glanced at Ava’s favorability bar, which bluntly displayed a 0. Tylissa choked slightly. Alright, it seems the Morren sisters really don’t like me at all. 

“I was just lucky enough to awaken wood elemental power,” Ava replied. “My abilities are still very weak.” She couldn’t quite tell what Tylissa was getting at. Since Tylissa had come on behalf of the Clark family to attend her coming–of–age party, it was impossible that she didn’t already know these things. 

Tylissa closed the control panel, her smile perfectly measured. “I was simply curious. I’ve heard that wood–based abilities can be extremely powerful. Who knows—perhaps you might become a healer someday.” 

“A healer? I haven’t thought that far ahead.” 

Tylissa’s lips curved slightly. “You’re far too low–key. Ms. Ava. If this were anyone else, the news would’ve spread everywhere by now. I wonder if you’ve ever read those post–apocalyptic zombie novels. The female leads awaken all kinds of special abilities, much like elemental power today. Your ability feels very much like that kind of protagonist.” 

Ava looked at her in surprise. “I haven’t read anything like that, and I don’t know about those special abilities or post–apocalyptic zombies. Is this a new novel theme you’re working on?” 

Her expression didn’t seem fake. Tylissa opened the control panel again and scanned her target. The system gave no indication of anything unusual. Had she guessed wrong? Was Ava not a time–displaced survivor from a post–apocalyptic world after all? 

It wasn’t entirely unreasonable for Tylissa to think so. In the established setting of this novel world, women could only awaken primal power. 

The sole exception was the story’s‘ original protagonist, Jean Gordon–a woman who had crossed over from a post–apocalyptic world. 

She possessed a rather useless light–based healing ability. After being set up and pushed to the brink of death, she had physically crossed into this era. On the verge of dying, she was rescued by the male lead Julian Clark’s squad while they were on a mission, and from there, the love 

2/3 

13:15 Wed, Jan 14 

Chapter 140 Suspicions Beneath the Smile 

story between the male and female leads began. 

290 

( 

68 

Finished 

3/1