Chapter 1360

Allan scrutinized the woman in the photo from head to toe. Finally, he spoke with absolute certainty. “That’s Ava.”

His feelings for her ran deep and true, carving every part of her into his memory with perfect clarity. Though Ava was in disguise, he knew who she was the moment he saw her.

After Allan confirmed it, Manley gave a firm nod. “Yeah, this woman looks exactly like Ava to me—especially that bold, fiery aura. Doomsday Rose and Ava might actually be the same person.”

Merlin let out a low laugh. “Looks like my theory held up. Allan, if you want Ava back, it’s going to be even tougher than you imagined.”

A woman as remarkable as Doomsday Rose was sure to carry immense pride. Winning her heart wouldn’t be easy, especially since Allan had already walked away from her once. Could she even consider the idea of letting him back into her life?

Manley laughed, shaking his head. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, Allan!”

All color drained from Allan’s face. He had spent all that time searching and yearning, never realizing the woman he had missed for so long was the same one he’d dismissed without a second thought. Now, the question loomed large. How could he possibly win Adah back?

Allan mulled it over until his head hurt, but he couldn’t come up with any answers. Left with no choice, he decided to ask for help. “Either of you have any advice?”

Merlin shook his head immediately. “Sorry, I’m not much use to you on this.”

Manley shrugged in defeat. “Same here.”

Without saying another word, Allan stood and made his way out. This was a challenge he would have to face on his own. No one else could do it for him.

As soon as Allan left, Merlin and Manley exchanged a look, sharing a quiet laugh at the absurdity of it all.

At that moment, Hailee stepped into the room and spoke in a calm, soothing tone. “Mr. Blakely, you’ve got an important meeting scheduled in an hour. It’s time to start getting ready.”

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Merlin took a moment to study her. Hailee truly was a breath of fresh air—kind, soft-spoken, and never demanding. She was nothing like Elliana or Adah. His gaze drifted to the shopping bag in her hand, and he smiled. “So, what did you get?”

Hailee reached in and pulled out a tie. “You mentioned you needed a new one, so I went out and picked this up for you. Do you like it?”

Merlin’s lips curled in a resigned smile. He had handed Hailee his card and encouraged her to go shopping, not to handle any tasks for him but to treat herself and enjoy spending his money. Instead, she had treated it like a serious assignment and came back with a tie she picked out for him.

Looking at the tie she held, he felt conflicted. It was an exact match to the one he already had on. There was a time when he had never strayed from his habits. He always wore the same designer, the same style, the same black shoes, and the same ties.

But since Hailee entered his life, he had wanted things to change. He had hoped his style might shift into something that would please her, so he had let her take over his wardrobe choices. But Hailee had stuck closely to his old routine, never daring to choose something different.

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