Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 34

Chapter 34 A Visit to the Holcombs 

Ava went downstairs and spotted Jane already there, with her two husbands, Casalus and Louis, standing beside her. 

“Ava, Cassius, Louis, and I are tagging along to meet the Holcombs and the Heisers, Jane said easily. Louis is related to the Holcombs, so it’ll look natural with us dropping by. As for Mason, he is Cassius cousin. We have everything covered today.” 

Ava looked at her, momentarily at a loss for words. 

Oh, I really appreciate that, sure. Does she think I can’t read her mind? She is obviously just tagging along to watch the drama unfold. 

Jane had some things she needed to attend to yesterday, so she couldn’t make it to visit the Brocks or the 

Caswells. She felt bad about it for a long time. 

Still, she was relieved that the Holcombs and the Heisers were around. That gave her a ready excuse to pay a visit. 

Jonathan nodded. “That works. You young people have more to talk about anyway. An old man like me spent yesterday drinking coffee and playing chess. It wore me out. 

“Ava, go with Jane and the others today.” 

Once he had spoken, Ava had no room to argue. She could only agree, holding back tears. 

Before they even left the house, she already had a feeling that today was not going to be easy for her. 

Cassius was driving that day. 

He brought out a new model of light armored vehicle that was popular with young people. It was bright red, with sleek lines that immediately caught the eye. 

Ava glanced at it. Yeah. Exactly Jane’s kind of style. 

She got in first and chose a seat in the very last row, deliberately leaving the row in front for Jane and her two husbands. 

When Jane got on and saw Ava hiding in the back, she called out at once. “Why are you sitting all the way back there? Come sit up front. Louis can take the back.” 

Louis laughed. “That’s perfect. I worked overtime last night and barely slept. I’ll lie down in the back and take a quick nap.” 

With no choice, Ava moved to the front. 

Jane plopped down right next to her and said, “By keeping so far away from us, did you think I’ll eat you or something?” 

“Of course not. I was just being thoughtful and saving seats so you could sit with both your husbands. If I sat next to you, I’d turn into a third wheel.” 

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11:12 Wed, Jan 7 

Chapter 24 A Visit to the Helconte 

After seeing that Ava was still joking around, Jane laughed too. “You look exhausted. Learn me and rest for a bit. I’ll wake you up when we get there. 

Ava waved her hand. “No need. I’m fine.” 

The rest of the ride passed in silence. 

Jane tried to speak a few times, but every time she saw how drained Ava looked, she swallowed her words and stayed quict. Forget it. My curiosity doesn’t need to be satisfied at the moment. 

The Holcombs were not just in pharmaceutical research. They also ran a massive medical device business and owned several large, full–service hospital chains. In the healthcare industry, they controlled nearly half 

the field. 

Keith’s mother, Claire Ashcroft, was a cousin of Louis‘ mother. 

Ava stared out the window, her mind drifting. She let everything go and forced herself to think about nothing at all. 

Jane watched her closely, concern clear in her eyes. “Are you okay? If you’re feeling unwell, you have to say something. The Holcombs aren’t that strict. Uncle Samuel and Aunt Claire are both pretty kind.” 

Ava shook her head. “I’m fine. It is what it is at this point. Might as well stop caring.” She lifted her hands and lightly patted her own cheeks, trying to make herself look more awake. 

“Hey, easy. Who hits their own face like that?” Jane grabbed her wrist. “Honestly, you leave me stumped.” 

“Let me see.” She leaned in and examined Ava. “Okay, good. Your makeup’s still alright. Nothing’s smudged. You’re seriously beautiful, Ava, to the point where you make me look bad. I’ll happily let you be the star of the show while I remain in the background.” 

The car passed through the Holcombs‘ front gates and continued all the way to the main entrance. 

Ava glanced outside once. Looks like it’s not too crowded. 

“Keith, is that Ava?” Lila had been waiting forever. She kept craning her neck, eyes glued to the outside. 

Keith bent down to her level and spoke gently. “Yes. Play on your own in a bit. Don’t bother the guests, okay?” 

“Hmph. You’re so stingy,” she muttered. “You won’t even let me take a look at Ava.” 

Cassius stepped out of the car first. He walked around to the other side and helped Jane down. Jane turned back to take Ava’s hand, leaving Louis as the last one to get out. 

With a bright smile, Jane said, “Aunt Claire, Louis and I came to see you. Hope we’re not inconveniencing Uncle Samuel or you.” 

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11:12 Wed, Jan 7 M 

Chapter 94 A VISH to the Holcombs 

“What inconvenience?” Claire replied with a laugh. “Tin happy you and Louis came 

Jane smiled and looked down at Ava. “Ava, this is Mr. Holcomb, and this is Mrs. Holcomb 

“Hello, Mr. Holcomb. Hello, Mrs. Holconib,” Ava said politely. 

“So, this is Ava,” Claire said warmly, taking Ava’s hand and looking her over from head to toe. “What a beautiful child. Two lovely girls in one family is something anyone would envy.” 

Louis gave Keith a brief nod and stood quictly to the side while Jane exchanged pleasantries. 

Once the polite compliments were out of the way, she smoothly shifted the topic. “Aunt Claire, where’s Keith?” 

“Keith?” Claire called out. “Come over and meet Ava.” 

Keith walked over. “Hello, Ms. Morren. I’m Keith.” 

Only then did Ava look at him. 

She blinked. 

Then, she blinked again, hard, as if she could not quite believe what she was seeing. 

She blinked a third time, making sure her eyes were not playing tricks on her. 

The gesture did not look forced at all. 

On her, it was simply adorable. With that confused little expression on her face, she looked like a cute animal. 

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183 Wed Jan 

The Five Powerhouses Whe Match the Unwilling Bride