The Traps of Black Swan

Nico saw frozen Vance staring at Dax Grant and Ms. Evans. "Vance!"

Vance helplessly sighed shaking his head, "Never heard, never seen. She was too simple and pure, Ms. Evans and Ava Kelly are a world apart." He said completely the truth.

Nico wanted to raise a question, 'If Ava Kelly is simple and pure, how can she be wanton?' He had a flicker of doubt about how Vance's statement in the past and present differed like opposite ends of the pole.

Before Nico could doubt Vance, the latter realized what he said and added another line, "At least that's what she showed to us." What he said was the truth, Ava Kelly hid everything about her from everyone excluding Shawn, Dax, Apple Pie because others didn't accept her as she was and always obstructed her doing everything.

But the reason behind Vance's line was to protect himself from the wrath of Nico Burton who wouldn't care to slap him in the face if he gets to know Vance was the one who wronged the innocent girl blaming everything on her.

Nico undoubtedly believed his long-time friend but not the Ava Kelly who he had just spoken a few times over a call.

Aarvi noticed the men when she was resting. She slid between the ropes of the ring and landed fluently on the ground. While Blake and Talon waved thier hand at her enthusiastically, Dax scoffed looking at Vance.

"Ms. Evans, is he the one who you mentioned as my competitor for the project?"

Aarvi was amazed at how well Dax started provoking Vance to get him in the ring, "Yep, what's wrong?" She behaved dumb and confused.

"You should have done a background check..." Dax was cut in by Vance, "CEO Grant!" He greeted so that he doesn't start announcing about his life.

Dax snorted however Aarvi cut in innocently, "Mr. Grant, you should respect your seniors in the industries."

Dax would have laughed out with her if they were in private because she was clearly giving him chance to diss him openly, 'My Dum Dum is so smart.'

"Senior? Oh please..." Saying it he noticed Shawn asking if he could join them because he so wanted to be a part of breaking Vance's self-confidence.

Dax cued him to enter as he continued, "Respect is earned not gained with the age."

Aarvi hummed going towards the refrigerator, "I agree with you." She tossed the energy drink towards Blake and Talon who were going towards her, "I thought you guys will come at 8 for breakfast. Working out?" It was just a general distraction question so that Nico who was cautious of her should fail in his open investigation.

Blake: "I am too lazy for that."

Talon: "My Workout time is evening."

Elliot was going towards them but Nico held his collar and stopped. The latter didn't want Elliot or his family to get targeted by Aaron unnecessarily for offending her like a headless chicken.

Shawn who reached Dax fist punched him and sniggered looking at Vance, "Little Evans, you should be aware who you make a business partner. You never know when he pushes you to the brink of death."

Dax wanted to knock his head for telling too much, Aarvi controlled laughing hearing him address 'Little Evans' to avoid 'Little heart' in front of Vance.

Vance was fidgety looking at Ava's two friends with Ms. Evans. 'Is Ms. Evans is Ava Kelly?' He desperately wanted the response to it.

"Excuse me?" Aarvi queried for the line, 'When he pushes you to the brink of death.'

Shawn walked up to her saying, "Hadn't we told you we had a friend who almost looked..."

Vance cut in fluster thinking Shawn was going to tell her about Ava in front of all by adding bad remarks about him. "Ms. Evans, you called us here for?" His stern tone resounded in the studio.

Aarvi cued Shawn to relax and sit with her to avoid other's sitting next to her. Shawn glared at Vance taking a seat next to her as she spoke reservedly. "Well, I had felt Skylar would be an excellent choice for us to work with. Since Hays International showed interest directly to me, I am thinking of checking your zeal for the project. Simple..."

Nico poked his nose out of curiosity, "Who checks the zeal of a company goal in the gym?"

Aarvi smirked, she could guess he already had an idea what was going to happen to Vance but she wasn't going to let Vance off and send him facing nothing. "Who do you think you are to ask me that?" He was nowhere related to companies.

Then her gaze landed on Vance, now her tone had a hint of annoyance for wasting her time and words, "Mr. Hays if you can't stand, the exit is over there."

Dax added his words to burn the fuel she poured in, "Ms. Evans, he doesn't have guts to stand against me or my company."

Shawn urged to applaud for them looking at how harmonious they were kicking up a fuss. He would love to join in and cause more trouble but it would obviously arise doubt as they were the crazy trio and Aarvi is Ava.

Vance couldn't stand how Dax looks down on him with every line he says, it wasn't new to it either. Dax and Shawn never liked him to start with, when he was engaged to Ava or now. It was just a project Dax won so he didn't want him to win on him again. "We didn't mean that."

Aarvi nodded, "So, you guys decide yourself what to do and show me who could reach the ends to have the project and makes it successful."

Dax and Shawn's eyes met which sparkled like diamonds in the dark, sun in the day. They always wanted to beat the shit out of Vance for making Ava Kelly insecure about herself, for making her suffer after the wedding although they were glad he didn't marry her.

Before Dax could speak Elliot started speaking about Vance with respect to Dax, "Brother Vance is slender compared to CEO Grant so we can't go for weights or pressure test which will be biased towards brother Vance..."

Dax rolled his eyes removing the focus pad from his hand, "There is nothing he is good at to start with." He provoked him to choose what he is good at and that's exactly Dax wanted to happen.

Elliot, Blake, and Talon didn't like the way Dax was speaking about Vance. They had just heard Vance's ex-fiance who ran away with somebody is Dax's friend. They thought Dax should be respectful of Vance irrespective of how they were in the business.

Blake defended loudly, "That's what you think. Brother Vance is an expert in kickboxing. Do you dare to choose it?"

Vance remembered how Dax had run away when Aarvi did a roundhouse kick so he assumed Dax was naive and didn't know how to block the kick so he didn't think about stopping the game.

Aarvi, Shawn, and Dax wanted to high five and laugh heartily looking at the friends who were pushing Vance off the ridge with all confidence.

Dax practiced boxing and kickboxing every day for three years after knowing Vance loved kickboxing waiting for this day to arrive. Now there is a good show to watch ahead.

Aarvi heard girls squealing inside the gym and turned to Shawn to ask what was going on, Shawn reported nonchalantly, "They are watching Bro. He must have removed his jacket hence girls are excited."

Aarvi: "..."

She remembered shirtless Aaron exiting the swimming pool and grounded her teeth forgetting they were in the middle of luring Vance to the boxing ring.