Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 106

Chapter 106 I’ll Be Careful 

Ava failed to win anyone over with her whining, so she could only clutch her clothes and let herself be pushed into the bathroom. 

Jane laughed and said, “I’ve figured it out. For Ava, nothing is more important than sleep. Other girls are up all night at their coming–of–age party, too excited to even rest, but she can’t even wake up. That takes some guts.” 

Margaret tapped her on the forehead. “Look who’s talking, Jane. Except for work, you sleep in until noon almost every day.” 

Jane rubbed her forehead and muttered, “That’s not even a fair comparison! I’m a married woman now. If you don’t like it, you can go tell your sons–in–law to keep them away from me.” 

Margaret glared at her, and Jane quickly said with a grin, “Mom, today is Ava’s big day. You should smile more, or you’ll get wrinkles at the corners of your eyes.” 

After Ava finished her shower, the last bit of sleepiness finally faded, and her mind cleared up. When she thought about how she had just been lazing around in bed, she felt embarrassed. Life had been so easy lately that she was starting to slack off. She felt truly ashamed. 

By the time Ava’s hair and makeup were finished, more than four hours had passed. She never knew preparing for a coming–of–age party could be so exhausting. After her shower, she still had to go through a full–body treatment. She felt like a puppet, letting others move her around. 

“Ava, you look beautiful today!” Jane sincerely praised her, looping one arm through Ava’s and the other through her mother’s. “Let’s get going.” 

Ava’s coming–of–age party wasn’t held at the Morren Residence, but at one of Margaret’s estates. The place was gorgeous, the grounds were huge, and it was where Jane had her own coming–of–age party years ago. 

When they arrived, Ava’s uncles and more than a dozen cousins were already there. She could still recognize the uncles, but the cousins‘ faces all looked the same to her. 

“So this is Ava? What a pretty young lady,” said an elderly woman with a kindly face.” 

“I haven’t been on Capitol Planet lately, so this is my first time meeting you. Let me have a good look at you.” 

Ava had seen her photo before and knew this was Jonathan’s wife, Avery Winchester. Though her face showed signs of age, she still looked graceful. It was clear she had been a beauty when she was younger. 

“Ava, this is my grandmother. You should call her Great–aunt Avery,” Jane said. 

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Jane had barely finished when the old lady rapped her on the head. “Great–aunt Avery? That sounds awful. Sweet girl, you call me Grandma just like Jane does. You’ve had a tough time all these years, but now you’re back, and from now on, I’ll treat you like my granddaughter too, just like Jane.” 

“Mom, you’ve just come home, and you only have eyes for your granddaughters. You barely spare me a glance. I’m your daughter, you know.” 

Avery laughed. “Margaret, you’re old enough to be a grandma yourself soon. Stop fighting with the younger ones for attention.” 

“Grandma, how are you?” Ava said as she was told. 

“Oh, such a good girl…” Avery answered with a smile, taking Ava’s hand and looking her down with satisfaction. 

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“Grandma, Ava doesn’t even look like someone who just came back from a remote planet. She is so stunning. No wonder you liked her at first sight.” 

A sharp voice suddenly cut in. 

Ava turned toward the sound and saw a woman dressed in luxury. She had a slightly plump figure with sharp, shrewd eyes. 

Avery immediately held her hand and smiled at Ava. “This is Grace, your cousin’s wife.” 

Ava greeted her, “Hello Grace, how do you do?” 

Grace quickly replied, “Ava, it’s so nice to meet you. Now I finally know what a real beauty is.” 

Ava thought Grace was quite the talker–her flattery was impressive. 

Jane walked over and took Avery’s arm, acting cute. “Grandma, let’s head inside. It’s still chilly out here.” 

They all headed into the house together. Along the way, Ava was dragged around to be introduced to all the relatives. There were so many people that she didn’t remember any of their names. She just greeted everyone automatically, her mind buzzing the whole time. 

When she finally got a chance to breathe, Ava excused herself to the restroom to calm down. When she came out, she saw Jane waiting by the door. “Jane, are you looking for me?” 

Jane pulled Ava into a nearby room and whispered, “Today is your coming–of–age party. There are a lot of people here; so be careful. Don’t accept things from strangers, especially flowers from strange men, and never touch anything left out of sight.” 

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Chapter 106 I’ll Be Careful 

Ava nodded. “I know, I’ll be careful.” 

“As for Grace, just be polite and go through the motions. She’s very shrewd, so don’t let her take advantage of you. Grandma likes you, but she’s getting older and sometimes can’t see things. clearly. She brings all sorts of people around, so be careful.” Jane’s face was full of concern as she reminded Ava. 

She was truly worried about Ava, so she waited for her here, wanting to warn her. 

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