Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 179

Chapter 179 Ava’s Day With Keith 

ས ༣, 47% 

Finished 

Ava kept her eyes fixed on the milk–spotted fish in the tank, barely blinking. She thought, I need to see exactly how he does it. That last catch can’t have been anything but luck. Yes–definitely luck. 

“Keep your eyes open,” Keith said. 

He lifted the net with a casual flick of his wrist. She froze. Somehow–against all logic–the milk–spotted fish was already trapped inside. 

“You cheated! There’s no way you didn’t cheat!” she exclaimed. 

He lifted his hands in mock innocence. “And how, exactly, did I cheat?” 

She snatched the net from him. “Let me try again!” 

He handed it over without protest. She drew in a steadying breath and locked onto her target. The moment she committed, she moved without hesitation. 

The result was devastating. Nothing. Not a single fish ended up in her net. 

After several more failed attempts, she finally had to accept the truth–this wasn’t as easy as it looked. 

He stepped in close, positioning himself behind her. His hand settled over hers as she gripped the net, and his voice dropped beside her ear. “Watch carefully.” 

He guided her movement with a subtle turn of his wrist. She couldn’t quite tell what he had done, yet when she looked down, a blue–tailed fish was flopping wildly in the net. 

Her eyes widened. She tilted her head back to look at him. “Were you a fish in a past life or something? Do they think you’re one of them?” 

A quiet laugh rose from his chest. His gaze lingered on hers. “If I’m a fish, doesn’t that mean you’re insulting yourself too?” 

“See anything else you like?” he asked. “We can catch more.” 

Ava pointed out a red one and another patterned in pink and white–the same two that had mocked her again and again earlier. This time, they didn’t escape. She let out a small, satisfied hum as she looked at the five fish resting inside the box. 

“Dad, dinner’s ready,” a little boy shouted. 

The soft, youthful voice drew her attention. Ava turned nd spotted a one–armed boy, no more than five or six years old, calling out to the stall owner. 

A gentle smile spread across the man’s face as he patted he boy’s head. “Max, go on for now. Once I make some money today, I’ll buy you something good to eat.” 

The boy shook his head firmly. “I don’t want anything special. I just want to stay with you.” 

A flicker passed through Ava’s eyes. Her gaze dropped to the fish in her hands, emotions quietly knotting in her chest. Her grip loosened without her noticing, and the box slipped free, splashing into the tank below. The fish scattered instantly, disappearing into the water 

The sound caught the attention of the father and son. The man rubbed his hands together and looked at the 

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16:57 Fri, Jan 16 G GG 

Chapter 179 Ava’s Day With Keith 

༥.,47%– 

Finished 

clear box floating on the surface. “Miss, did your fish fall in? It’s alright. Just tell me which ones they were, and I’ll replace them. These tanks are tricky, but I have some in a smaller bucket over there–much easier to catch.” 

Ava shook her head. “That’s okay. It was my mistake. I’ll catch them again.” 

Keith glanced at her before calmly scanning another hundred coins. 

“Go eat,” he said to the stall owner. “We’ll keep playing.” 

In the end, she saved her last two chances. She glanced at him, who accepted the net with a smile and effortlessly scooped up two fish for her. The box rested in her hands as she smiled brightly, delight softening her eyes. 

He watched her in silence, his heart turning unexpectedly tender. He thought, She never turns away from the suffering around her. But as a child, aside from her grandfather, who showed her that same kindness? 

The car arrived at the Morren family at two in the afternoon. 

Ava released her seatbelt and stepped out, turning back with a cheerful wave. “Go take care of your work. That matters more. We’ll have plenty of chances in the future.” 

A helpless sigh escaped Keith. “Alright. I’ll head back to the lab, then. Next time, I’ll take you to an art exhibition.” 

Her room welcomed her with quiet familiarity. Ava changed into comfortable loungewear, lay face down on the bed, and activated her lightbrain. Several notifications appeared on the screen. She had deliberately switched to ‘Do Not Disturb‘ earlier, knowing she would be spending the day with Keith. 

That choice did little to change the fact that she was, at heart, a master of careful balance. Even so, she believed that time spent with someone deserved full attention, free from unnecessary interruptions. 

Ava’s gaze paused on the top message. Ryan’s profile photo filled the screen, flashy as ever. The picture looked like it had been taken in an elevator, his outfit boldly stylish. A baseball cap shadowed his eyes, oversized rings adorned his fingers, and his earrings caught the light. 

Ryan texted, ‘Heading out for an on–location shoot today. I’ll contact you later.‘” 

Two missed video calls sat beneath the message. The timestamps suggested they had come in around lunchtime. 

She replied, “I went to the hospital for a physical today and didn’t check my Holoband. How’s work going? Make sure you do your best–men who work seriously are the most handsome.” 

A slight wince crossed her face after the message was sent. The sweetness made her teeth ache, yet she was beginning to understand the guilty pleasure of maintaining a full ‘fish pond.‘ 

Two more messages followed, one from Ethan and another from Mason. She responded to each in turn. 

Her attention finally settled on Laurent’s avatar. The message she had sent the day before remained unanswered. 

Ava thought, Could he have been pulled into some urgent, confidential mission? 

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