CHAPTER 164: CHAPTER 164 JOSEPH MESSED UP HIS RELATIONSHIP

Caroline’s POV

"Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite little troublemaker remembering her old friends," the voice on the other end teased.

"Theo, darling, I never forget my friends. You guys are like brother, honey! How are you?" Ruby’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she spoke.

"I’m surviving. Just need a woman to comfort me since my buddy took off to that resort on the coast," Theo replied, referencing Jax’s departure.

"Don’t be so dramatic!" Ruby scolded. "But I actually called to tell you something I know will cheer you up."

"Oh really? I’m all ears."

"That fool Joseph really messed up, and Ava is single now," Ruby said.

"No way! Are you serious?"

"Completely serious. Joseph’s out of Ava’s life."

"Ruby, you’re an absolute gem! Gotta run now. We’ll talk later." Theo quickly disconnected.

Within minutes, Ava’s phone rang. She showed us the screen before answering,it was Theo. She put it on speaker:

"Theo? This is unexpected. Everything okay?"

"Beautiful Ava, I’m absolutely miserable. You know my friend left town, and my wolf is going crazy with loneliness..." Theo said dramatically.

"Theo, what can I do to help?" Ava asked.

"Some company would be wonderful. But, I don’t want to cause any tension with Joseph," Theo spoke casually, as if testing waters.

"Don’t worry about him. Joseph is history, we’re done," Ava stated firmly.

"Oh, Goddess above. Are you alright? Did that idiot hurt you?"

"Like you said,he’s an idiot. But I’d rather not talk about him."

"Would you consider having lunch with me? We could spend the afternoon together." Ava glanced at us, and we were all nodding.

"I’d love that. Where should I meet you?"

"I’ll come get you, beautiful. Where are you now?"

"At Caroline’s apartment. I’ll text you the address."

"I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. "

When Ava ended the call, we all burst into laughter. Theo had been smitten with Ava since the first moment he’d seen her.

"Carrie, are you sure you don’t mind me bailing on helping?" Ava asked, suddenly concerned.

"Of course not. Go enjoy yourself with Theo and tell us everything later. Have fun," I encouraged her.

After Ava went downstairs to meet Theo, Nate came into the living room for another box and asked why Ava was leaving with Theo.

Joseph overheard and stormed in."What the hell is going on?" Joseph demanded.

"Easy there, idiot. Ava just went out with a friend. And there’s nothing wrong with that, since she’s single," Eleanor said pointedly to Nate,deliberately provoking Joseph’s anger.

"That’s bullshit, Eleanor!" Joseph snarled.

"Control your wolf and lower your voice with me, Joseph. I’m not one of your playthings!" Eleanor stood tall in front of him, and he backed down like a scolded pup. "Now, tell us what mess you made."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean you and Ava aren’t together anymore, Joseph? Why weren’t we informed about this?" Draven asked, his Alpha authority coming through. "Ryan, come here." He called, and Ryan appeared with Liam riding happily on his shoulders.

"Goddess help me! Is this turning into some kind of pack judgment?" Joseph groaned.

"Just explain yourself, idiot," Kyle demanded.

At that moment, Mabel arrived cheerfully, and Draven asked her to take Liam to his room.

"Ava caught me with another woman,"Joseph admitted, his eyes downcast."She showed up at my place unexpectedly, and this woman was there. She’s nobody important to me. But Ava was devastated, blocked me,won’t answer calls, refuses to talk, nothing. And she made me promise not to tell anyone because Caroline and Draven were dealing with their own issues," Joseph explained, his shoulders slumped.

"What were you thinking, you complete jackass?" Luke asked, smacking Joseph’s arm.

"Ow, Luke! I was restless and..."Was he really attempting to justify his betrayal?

"If you continue with that excuse, I swear my wolf will bite your face off!" Eleanor growled. "Who was the woman?"

When Joseph remained silent, she pressed harder. "Who was it, Joseph?"

"Remember that night at the restaurant? When Ella showed up with her friends and started jumping all over us?"

"Sophia? That scheming little witch? I can’t believe it!" Eleanor was outraged. "She’s friends with that entitled princess, Ella, who tried to break up Caroline and Draven!"

"Oh Joseph, now I really want to tear into you!" I felt my anger rising inside me.

"Easy, love." Draven said, his eyes darkening with displeasure.

"Go ahead, I deserve it," Joseph lamented.

"Let’s all calm down," Draven spoke up. "You’re an idiot, Joseph. Jax and his friends are decent guys, so you might have lost Ava to a better man. And I’ll remind you that she works for my company and is under my protection, so you won’t bother her again. But right now, we’re going to finish setting up my family’s move. After everything’s arranged at my house, we’ll deal with this properly."

"Just so you know, I was the one who called Theo," Ruby admitted. "Like Draven said, he’s a decent guy."

We finished packing and headed to Draven’s penthouse. When we arrived, Carlos greeted us and looked at Liam with teary eyes, amazed by how much my son looked like Alpha Draven.

When we got to what would be Liam’s room, I couldn’t speak. It was perfectly set up with a small bed with carvings, a handmade wooden dresser, a reading corner with a chair, a little table with chairs, and lots of toys.

Draven’s eyes shone with pride and emotion."These were from my childhood room. My mother kept everything, saying that one day her grandson would sleep under the same moon, in the bed that was mine," Draven said.

"He’ll sleep every night in the bed that his grandmother saved for him," I said quietly, touching Draven’s face.

"Carlos, thank you for getting everything ready so quickly."

"It’s nothing, Ms. Caroline. It’s my greatest honor. I watched Alpha Draven grow into the leader he is today, and now seeing his son is a blessing from the Moon Goddess herself," Carlos said respectfully before leaving.

Very quickly, my move was finished. We sat in the living room, listened to what Joseph had to say, and gave him a lecture.