I spent the rest of my time with Grandma, catching up and making her feel better. A couple of times, the nurses had come in to check her vitals and make sure that she was responding well to the medicine that they were administering to her.
She seemed to be getting better and I was glad. After a while, I stood, getting ready to take my leave.
“Grandma, I’ll miss you.” I sighed, an apparent frown on my face as I held my bag to my body tightly. Every single nerve in my body just wanted me to sit back down, and stay with Grandma up until daybreak. But, I had work, and just being given this new position, I couldn’t slack off so early.
“I’ll miss you too, my sweet.” I leaned over and she gave me a kiss on the forehead, her warm hands cupping my face. “And do greet my darling, Blake, for me, would you? I still don’t understand why he had to leave in such a hurry.”
I chuckled nervously. “You know h
AVAThe car's engine purred softly as Alexander started it up. I sat back silently, this scene feeling all too familiar.My blood was still rushing from the thrill and excitement, while my hand shook in anger. I really wished I hadn't helped Chloe out, and the feeling of regret settled in faster than I could even comprehend.These were the issues. I scoffed as I mentally facepalmed myself.I was too nice. And that was mostly taken for granted.“Who does that girl think she is?” I scoffed again in disbelief, pulling my setabelt and keying it in.“Nobody.” Alexander responded with a dead serious face. As he set the car in motion, reversing out of the car park, I couldn't help but look at him. He stared right back and we both burst into laughter.“I can't believe she still thinks I want him? Can you believe it?” I laughed, clutching onto my stomach.“She's crazy,” He murmured, drifti
AVAThe more I looked at the screen the surer I was that it was nothing near a joke.The picture was from a while ago, and I had never even expected him to still have the image. But, here it was. Ogling me down.A flood of comments was already rolling in, as I scrolled through the post:‘OMG! Congratulations!’‘You guys are made for each other! Xoxo’‘Ava is so lucky to have a man like you!!!’Lucky? I bitterly laughed. I was far from lucky with this manipulative, cunning bastard!And I was so sure that I’d made my message clear enough for him back at the hospital. Unfortunately, all my words went through one ear and out the other. He didn’t listen, he never did. Was this man set to ruin my damn life?Without thinking, I called him.“WHAT THE HELL BLAKE?!”~An uneasy bubble of tension lingered above everyone’s heads as I walked into t
BLAKEI reclined in my office seat, propping my legs up on the table. This wasn’t how I expected my day to go, but here I was. I scrolled through my phone with cautious eyes as I hummed a familiar tune—a song that Ava and I used to sing together.Over the past few days, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get her out of my head. She was perfect for me—the one.And I knew that I fucked up. I knew that I made her hurt in so many ways, but that was the least of my intentions. All I ever wanted was for her to feel safe with me, but like I always did, I’d ruined it all in one go.My stomach grumbled in uneasiness as I navigated back to my profile to check the engagement post. Although Ava wanted it gone, I still decided to keep it up. I didn’t want to take it down. No, I wanted the world to know that she was mine, and I was hers.She could’ve requested anything else, but as far as I was concerned, the post wasn’t coming down. I scrolled up and searched for the post. It was supposed to b
AVAI tossed around in my bed as I felt the morning rays hit my skin. It was only Saturday and I wasn’t planning on waking up early, but nature seemed to have other plans for me. The sparrow birds were busy chirping away their morning songs by the window sills.With a groan, I grabbed a pillow from the other side of my bed and used it to cover my ears. I kicked my feet fussily, hoping the birds to go away and give me some quiet so I could return to my sweet sleep, but they kept chirping annoyingly. In fact, it felt like more joined in.I got off the bed with a sigh and shooed them away from my window.By this time, I was well awake. I stretched my bones with a yawn and did a few more exercises before going to pull the curtains properly open.“Rise and shine baby. Today’s gonna be a beautiful day.” I hummed to myself.Just then, I heard my phone beep behind me. I rushed to pick it up and unlocked my it eagerly, hoping it was some shipping update because I placed an order for something
AVA“Wow, it’s beautiful.” I breathed to myself as my hands dancing over the exquisite fabric.I about to take the dress off of the hanger when I watched another hand appear in the line of my vision only to snatch the dress away from my hands.“Okay, what the actual hell?” I said in surprise, turning to see the face of the one who nearly ripped out my manicure in the rudest way possible.“That dress is mine.” I immediately went on to add, staring at the lady in annoyance.“But I got to it first,” she sneered, dangling the dress right in front of my face.I was about to say something else when I began to notice how familiar the face was. I definitely saw this face at the wedding with Alexander.Wasn’t this Alexander’s niece? What was her name again? Lilian?Lilith!Now realizing it was indeed her. I let go of the dress, although not in the least satisfied with whatever was happening regardless of what the coincidence may be.“Lillith? What are you doing here?” I asked.“What are you do
AVAI couldn't stay here another second. Not with my dress hanging in tatters, my dignity in shreds, and Alexander and Sara watching the whole humiliating scene unfold. With shaking hands, I snatched my purse from where it had fallen during the scuffle and tried to adjust what was left of my sleeve.“I asked what the hell is going on here,” Alexander repeated. There was a gruffness in his tone that made everywhere seem cold.Lilith's demeanor had completely changed, her earlier confidence evaporating under Alexander's steely gaze.“It was just a little misunderstan—“Before Lilith could finish that statement I slapped her hard across the face. My palm stung, but it was nothing compared to the burning rage inside me.How dare she try to call the harassment a misunderstanding?I guess some of the rage was coming from the fact that Alexander was here with Sara. Sara. Why was he still with her if he cared about me as much as he said?“Don't you ever try that shit with me again,” I hissed
AVA“I had sex with Alexander.”The words hung in my mind, unspoken yet so vivid. I could almost hear myself say them out loud. What would Blake’s face look like if I actually said it aloud? Would his perfect composure finally crack? Would he feel a fraction of the gut-wrenching pain I experienced when I caught him with Chloe?I imagined him hardening his knuckles on the steering wheel, the muscle in his jaw twitching the way it did whenever he was truly furious. Maybe he'd slam on the brakes, yell at me and demand to know every detail just to torture himself with it. The thought gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction. That feeling of letting him know what it felt like to be the one left wondering. How it felt to be the one picturing someone else’s hands on the person they loved.But the words remained trapped behind my clenched teeth.Not because I cared about sparing his feelings, but because something inside me refused to turn Alexander into a weapon.Whatever had happened between
AVAI slammed my apartment door shut behind me and collapsed against it, sliding down until I hit the floor. My clothes still clung to my skin, rain-soaked and heavy and my hand still tingled from the slap I'd delivered to Blake's face.“Don't tell me you two have been fucking behind my back.”His accusation echoed in my head, drilling into the very part of me that carried the guilt of what had happened with Alexander. Not that Blake deserved my loyalty after what he'd done, but the fact that he'd zeroed in on my secret with such precision made me feel transparent.I pushed myself up from the floor, my limbs leaden with exhaustion. Water dripped from my hair, creating dark splotches on the hardwood. I flung my purse on the kitchen counter and trudged towards my bedroom, peeling off my wet jacket along the way.I cranked the shower in the bathroom to the hottest setting and stripped off the rest of my clothes.The room was soon filled with steam as I stepped into the shower. Then I san
AVA“What!”Three steps brought him within arm's reach of me.“You heard me,” I replied, feeling strangely detached from the chaos swirling around us.His adam's apple bobbed under the collar of his shirt. “Have you been playing me this entire time?”I laughed. “Don't act like an innocent puppy, Blake. I was only playing your game. The one you taught me when you fucked another woman behind my back for months.”Charles made a strangled sound from somewhere behind Blake.Isabella didn’t really seem surprised because I already told her happened.“You want to know the secret Sara was threatening to expose? I'll tell you myself. I slept with Alexander the night of your father's wedding.”Blake's face went instantly pale.I turned to Isabella with a pang of genuine regret even though I was satisfied to have let that out.“I'm sorry you had to hear this. But that was the same night I caught Blake making out with a married woman on the terrace. I had to leave because I couldn't take it. I got
AVAHis offer wastoo good to be true and too dangerous to ignore. I“Why would you want help me with that?”He answered, “Because unlike you, I've been honest about my feelings from the beginning. And I wouldn't let a woman I love suffer at the hands of someone like Blake when I have the power to stop it.”Love. He loved me…?The word landed like a stone in still water, and it sent ripples through everything I thought I understood about us.I stared at him and there was only raw sincerity in his eyes, which scared me more than any threat could have.The truth was…I did feel something for Alexander.But I never allowed myself to fully acknowledge it or name it or trust it. Even now, standing here soaked to the skin with the taste of him still on my lips, I was afraid to admit how deep it went.“We should…” I swallowed hard, “We should find somewhere to dry off.”Alexander still kept his eyes on me for a while longer before he nodded, although made no move to lead us back toward the vil
AVAMy cheek throbbed the same rhythm with my heartbeat as I walked away from the hospital.How much more could I take? I walked into this situation willingly, eyes wide open, calculating the costs against the potential gains. I believed getting close to Blake again would help me reclaim what belonged to my family. But so much had happened so far that I didn’t even see it coming. Sara's vindictiveness and Blake's violence for example.Maybe there was another way to get my assets back that didn't require subjecting myself to Blake or Sara.The beach ahead of me was empty, save for one solitary figure standing at the edge of the water. I almost turned in another direction, but it wasn’t like Alexander owned the ocean after all.I headed towards the beach but stopped several yards away from him. The waves crashed over the water just as the cool breeze aided my stinging cheek.I didn’t look at Alexander and made sure my eyes were on the horizon where water met sky.I could see him studyin
ALEXANDER“Tell me.”“The test results are out, sir. It's been confirmed that the child she was carrying is not yours,” Matthew said over the phone.I closed my eyes briefly in relief, which was immediately followed by cold anger. Sara nearly succeeded in her plan to hold me hostage with the welfare of an innocent child.“She thought I was a fool,” I said quietly, more to myself than to Matthews.The level of calculation required to orchestrate this deception was quite impressive, if I must admit.I needed to put that woman in her place for good. No child meant no obligation, and no obligation meant Sara would finally face the consequences of her actions.Matthews's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. “There’s a second update, about Ms. Winters.”My attention sharpened instantly. “Go on.”“She’s been digging into Blake finances and financial dealings as of late. Our source at First Capital confirms she's been making discreet inquiries about specific transactions dating back eightee
SARAAlexander scooped Sara into his arms and carried her out of the door. Her face was contorted with pain and fear, her fingers clutching desperately at his shirt. And then they were gone, leaving me standing motionless in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the crimson puddle at my feet.I couldn't process what had just happened. One moment Sara had been threatening me as she laid claim to Alexander and his future. The next, she was screaming, bleeding and collapsing.“Ava?” Isabella's gentle touch on my shoulder made me flinch. “Are you alright?”I nodded mechanically, unable to form words. The kitchen was now filled with people; Blake was hovering uncertainly in the doorway, Charles was already on his phone arranging something and staff appeared with mops and towels.“Come on,” Isabella said, guided me away from the blood.I looked down and realized there were droplets of red on my shoes. I let Isabella lead me to a bathroom where she dampened a cloth and handed it to me.“What
ALEXANDERI had no choice but to bring Sara along. The moment the pregnancy was confirmed, she weaponized it with her subtle threats. She was using this child as leverage, and we both knew it. Despite wanting nothing to do with her personally, she was carrying my child. As much as I hated to admit it, anything that affected her could inadvertently affect the baby.So here we were. I didn’t expect Ava to be here.I saw her sitting with Isabella on the terrace and everything else faded to background noise. She looked beautiful in the morning light, hair loose around her shoulders, dressed simply in linen pants and a sleeveless top. For a split second before she noticed us, she was laughing at something Isabella had said. Then she saw me and the smile just faded.Sara, of course, noticed my reaction and held my arm more tightly. The tension that followed was excruciating. Ava politely distanced herself while I maintained my composure even though I hated it each time Ava averted her eyes
AVAThe seaside villa Blake booked was admittedly spectacular. It was all clean lines and panoramic windows that framed the ocean like living artwork. Not that I'd been in any mood to appreciate it since we arrived three days ago.This morning, Blake and Charles left at dawn for a deep-sea fishing expedition on Charles's yacht. Blake had kissed my forehead before leaving, whispering something about bringing back dinner and I pretended to be half-asleep as I murmured just enough acknowledgement to send him on his way.It wasn’t until the moment their boat disappeared from view that I felt like I could finally breathe.“More coffee?” Isabella's voice distracted me.She stood in the doorway to the terrace, wearing linen pants and a simple blouse that which she looked so elegant in.I gestured to the chair across from me, “Please.”She poured for us both and then settled into the cushioned chair with a contented sigh.“This is my favorite time of day here. Before the heat becomes unbearab
AVABlake's car was still parked outside in the lot. I stood there for a moment debating whether I should just turn around and find a hotel for the night. But running wouldn't solve anything. It was time to put on my big girl pants and deal with it.I trudged up to my apartment. The living room was empty when I entered and there was no sign of Blake on the couch where I left him. There was an empty whiskey glass and the TV remote.“Blake?” I called out, hoping against hope he'd fallen asleep somewhere easily avoidable.When I didn’t hear any response I quickly headed for my bedroom before figuring out how to handle this new development in my Blake problem.The moment I closed my bedroom door behind me, I saw Blake.“Hi there.”I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him lounging against my headboard, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.“Jesus Christ,” I gasped, “I didn't realize you were in here.”“Obviously,” he said, looking amused at my reaction.I noticed the towel he
ALEXANDERSitting there and watching the whole drama unfold made me scoff. I almost felt sorry for Ava being trapped in that spotlight, with all those expectant eyes on her. I thought she'd say what any sane woman with a backbone would say after being jerked around for years with someone like Blake.So when she smiled and said yes, it felt like a hard slap in my face. I stood there like an idiot, watching her walk into his arms. Watching her kiss him. Watching her choose him.The hair dryer whirred noisily as I guided it though my wet hair, thinking hard about the situation back there last night and I realized it was getting to me so much more than I expected.I turned off the dryer and went back into my bedroom to get my phone. The messages I sent to Ava after I left the event were all marked with a single check, which means they’d delivered but not read. I tried calling her out of frustration but ended with an automated voice informing me that I wasn't permitted to reach this number