Ava's POV
I shook my head, “No, it's not, and you can't hold me here!” I exclaimed, “I refuse to stay here with you!”Fernando laughed, “You think you have a choice?” he mouthed, arching a brow as he hovered over me.But I wasn't about to let Fernando get a hold of me like this. Not me. Not my baby. I had to protect Miguel's child.In a split second, I kicked him in the groin and dashed across the room, heading for the second exit but before I could make it halfway through the room two men holding guns materialized before me —and the Cole appeared behind them with an even larger gun.My heart jumped to my throat as tears slipped out of me.I was so stupid.From the very first day I saw Cole, I knew that he was too young to be a freaking butler. I knew there was something wrong but I never paid it any attention.Not even when he barely ever was home with us. Not even when I knew first hand how much of a liar Fernando was.The blood stains on Fernando's shirt and Cole and the other men, told me one thing. Fernando was in the underworld.I stopped instantly, clutching the baby in my arms and stepping back as I turned to him, “What is this?” I stuttered."My men." He replied with pride in his voice. "Take one step and that little bastard in your arms dies,” he spat bitterly.Bastard? My eyes widened, and I felt a surge of rage rise within me, “Bastard?” I echoed.“Yes, Bastard!” He exclaimed, “Why do you sound so surprised?”“You adored her—”He burst out laughing hysterically cutting off my words; “Adored her? Don't make me puke please,” he said with obvious disgust written all over his face.“I didn't adore her and I never will. She makes me sick, and Christ! you have no idea how much I wanted to snap her neck at times. I only pretended to care about her just so you could love me and accept me. But what did I get?”“What?” I blurted, feeling sick at the thought.How could he hate my little angel?How could anyone be so cruel, and how had I missed all the signs? I had really been a fool.“Do you have any idea how stressful that was?” He quizzed with a frown. “Putting up with that bastard offspring of Miguel's for you. Being good, so you could love me, and now you want to leave?” The laughter died down and his expression darkened as he screamed, “Never!”He stepped towards me and I stepped back instinctively but he didn't stop until he had me backed against the wall, “You're never leaving here. Do you hear me?”“You monster! I hate you!” I spat on him and everything stopped.His fingers wiped off the slime from his cheek and he stared at it before his evil eyes fell on mine and my heart jumped.I angered the beast.He took one more step towards me and before I could define what was happening, he landed a hot slap across my cheek.My vision blurred for a second as the pain and shock washed over me. And then before I could get my bearings, he yanked the baby out of my arms and passed it to Angela—the fake Penelope.“No. Don't take her away!” I yelled but Fernando slapped me again, this time, my body couldn't handle it. I fell flat on the ground, screaming for my baby.But Fernando wasn't done yet. He picked me off the ground and threw me over his shoulder.I kicked and screamed. “Put me down!” I screamed and the baby cried as Fernando carried me up to his bedroom.My baby's tears tore through my heart and in that moment I remembered Perez words; Miguel was never a monster. He could never do this no matter what I did to deserve it; and Fernando who I so dumbly trusted, he was the real monster."Fernando please... Let me have my baby. I beg you. Let her stay with me." I cried out, my throat going sore but Fernando didn't listen.He continued walking till we got to his room. He kicked it open and threw me on the bed like a heap of hay.“I have had enough of being patient with you, and hoping you'd love me at your own time.” He growled as he began to take off his belt and his trousers.Panic seized me and I began to tremble in fear."Fernando... What are you doing?"“I'm not taking it easy with you anymore. This time I get what I want.”I tried to run but Fernando hit me and threw me against the bed once more."I have waited too long, Ava and now, you must be all mine."He mounted the bed, clasping his hand around my neck as he forcefully kissed me and It made me so sick I wanted to die.I fought him off but with no luck.He was stronger and I didn't stand a chance as he ripped my dress off me, and took off his clothes, getting ready to invade me forcefully.I broke into tears, “Please, don't do this,” I begged, fighting him off but he won.Fernando held my arms above my head, kissing me forcefully while I swirled my head from left to right to dodge his kiss."I have dreamed of handling you like this ever since our supposed wedding... But Miguel saved you from me!" He growled into my ears and my eyes almost snapped.A knot loosened in my body as it finally dawned on me. He never loved me. Not then and not now."Fernando..." I choked as more tears filled my eyes.Everything he did or said, was a lie. And truly Miguel's attack had saved me from the hell Fernando had planned for me.Yet I stupidly ran right back into it."Your sweet innocent body was going to be mine to do every crazy shit I could think of... But that fool!"His free hand cupped my left breast, squeezing it hard and I shrieked in pain but he didn't stop."That fool got to taste you first... But I will ruin you. I will take out every image you have of him and replace it with horror!"His teeth lashed on my nipple, and adrenaline pumped into me. I kicked him but this time he was prepared, my kick met his muscles thigh instead and the pain bounced back to me.But I kept trying to fight.He slapped me so many times before he overpowered me. He overpowered me, clasping his hand around my neck, restricting my airflow and thereby weakening me.He attempted to take off his shorts.I was choking on my tears, and just when I thought the worst was about to come there came a large bang at the door."Nando!" Someone called from the outside and we both knew that something was wrong.Ava's POVFernando stopped, easing off me with a resigned look on his face as he headed for the door. He didn't look too pleased as he opened the door and barked immediately, “What do you want!” He exclaimed.I still lay frozen on the bed, tears rolling down my cheek as my body trembled from the shock of the moment and all that had happened in the last hour. For god's sake, I felt like everything was falling apart.And I wasn't completely sure if I was in the safe zone yet. Just the thought of what Fernando was about to do with me before we were interrupted made me shudder. I felt sick to my stomach, and I wanted to throw up so badly.I could still smell him on me, his cologne; His breath; It disgusted me. My eyes shot to the door where he stood chattering with someone in hushed tones —one of the gunmen from a while ago. After a minute, Fernando glanced at me and my heart leaped in my chest as I feared that he'd return and continue what he wanted to do to me and I'd be too helples
Miguel's POVI heard the roaring sound of an engine outside and left my desk to check out who it was. By the time I took a peek out the window, I glimpsed Perez in the driver’s seat just before he took off at top speed.I furrowed my brow. Weird. Why was he in such a hurry? And why didn't he tell me he was leaving? I wondered, arching a brow as I stood at the window. I had a bad feeling in my gut, and I could have sworn that something was wrong. I just felt it.But what could it be?I tried his cell repeatedly, trying to get hold of him to find out what was going on and why he had rushed out like that. Was there something serious going on?I wanted to know if I was missing out on anything and where he was headed but Perez didn't take my calls or return them and after a while, I returned to my desk to continue going through documents for the new orphanage.But, I still couldn't shake off the worry though, my mind wouldn't let me and I couldn't help the feeling that something was goi
Miguel's POVAva stood before me, and her presence ignited a whirlwind of emotions within me. Despite my anger and bitterness towards her over everything she had put me through.I still couldn't ignore that there was an undeniable warmth in my heart at the sight of her. Oh! How I had missed her.Her beauty had remained unchanged since the last time and the sight of her struck me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me momentarily breathless.It took everything in me to suppress the urge to rush toward her and embrace her. I wanted to so badly but I couldn't act on my feelings. I clenched my jaw tightly, my fists trembling with pent-up frustration and rage directed at her. I couldn't let her see how much she still affected me, and how much I longed to hold her in my arms and never let go.I blinked away all that emotion, composing myself, "What the hell is she doing here?" I repeated, my voice low and tingling with venom as I turned my gaze back to Perez. My eyes bore into him, questi
Ava's POVThe world seemed to have stopped in its turn as Miguel pushed me and I fell into Perez's arms —who held me up, keeping me from falling to my knees. Lightweight, destroyed, broken —my body felt like a broken shell unable to hold anything. I was falling apart, I was crumbling from within, and all the joys of the world were beyond reach.My heart was in my legs, in my arms, in my bones, everywhere but my chest and it was heavy. My body was heavy and impossible to lift. It was almost like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulder. And perhaps I was. It had been hours since Perez brought me from the ranch but I didn't feel like myself. How could I? With Mary-Grace being missing and all, It felt like every inch of my soul was damaged and set loose to the wind. I was lost, and Irreparable with no one to blame for everything that had gone wrong than myself.Perez dragged me out of the mansion, and I crumbled before him, refusing to move another inch. I couldn't le
Miguel's POVWe pulled away from the mansion, and my gaze involuntarily drifted to the rearview mirror watching Ava as she ran after the car and then fell to the ground. Her tear-streaked face was etched with pain and desperation.The image burned in my mind as the car drifted further away from her. My heart cramped as I focused on her, and clenched my fist tightly. Abandoning her wasn't anything easy, and it fucking hurt but it had to be done. “Do you want us to stop?” Perez leaned toward me as he whispered, noticing my struggle, and I caught his gaze and shook my head.“No,” I mumbled, “We have somewhere to be.”Each glance at her through the rearview mirror felt like a punch to the gut, stirring up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within me that I couldn't help or process at the moment.I wanted to reach out, to offer some comfort, but the wounds she had inflicted on me ran too deep. The betrayal, the lies, they were like a dagger lodged in my heart, refusing to budge no matt
Ava's POV“My baby was kidnapped!” I wailed as the officer helped me to a seat, “You need to find her, please,” I pleaded, sliding off the seat and getting to my knees.His forehead squeezed in worry as he looked at me. His eyes scanned me almost like he was assessing me but I didn't care.All I wanted was to find my child. And as the seconds trickled by, I became impatient.Like a mad dog, I jumped to my feet, “What are you waiting for? Find her!” I yelled at the man when he didn't move, drawing the attention of the other officers to myself.I was a mess, a desperate mess who would do anything to find her child. I was losing time and thinking of what Fernando might be doing to my baby was driving me crazy.My boobs still hurt, and the breast milk seeping out of it wasn't helping me relax either. My baby was hungry, and here I was standing before this officer who wasn't doing anything. It was vexing.“Go find my child! Please, isn't that your job?” I tugged at the officer's clothes
Ava's POVI could feel my heart in my legs as I ran with all I had in me —every fibre of my being was out here.I ran through the chaos, and the wailing sound that followed the echoes of gunshots.Bullets flew in all directions as I neared the burning ranch, and charged in on what looked like a war front. The sight was what you could only expect to see at a war front.I could feel fear coursing through me at the chaos but I had to keep going because my baby needed me. I had to stay strong and focused for her. It didn't matter if I was running into war.The closer I got to the burning ranch the more I could feel the heat lick my skin and sweat rolled down my back. As I reached the chaotic scene, my heart hammered in my chest with dread, and fear tightened into a knot in the pit of my stomach. My body trembled aggressively, and the intense pressure in my abdomen was growing more and more pressing.Through the chaos I could barely make out allies or foes. Both sides were locked in a f
Miguel's POVThe beeping sound reverberated through my consciousness, pulling me back from the depths of unconsciousness. Slowly, I became aware of my surroundings and the sterile scent of the hospital invading my nostrils. I opened my eyes, blinking away the haze of sleep.The harsh glare of fluorescent lights assaulted my vision, casting everything in a clinical glow. I squinted my eyes, shying away from the brightness as I turned, taking in the sight of the hospital room.The walls were a dull shade of white, devoid of any warmth or personality. By my bed were rows of monitors, their screens flickering with vital signs and numbers, which meant little to nothing to me.I shifted into the hospital bed, feeling the stiffness in my muscles protesting against my movements. Pain shot through my body, and my eyes glimpsed the burns on my skin, which served as a reminder of the ordeal I had endured. As far as I was concerned, they were like trophies, a small price to pay to save my child
Ava's POVIt had been a week since the Jet incident, and Mason's death.The cops had done their part with the investigation and had managed to connect the hospital explosion, and the van explosion together linking it to Lino.They had also traced some of his illegal businesses to Naples among other crimes and shut it down but since there was no one to punish that was all they could do.Angela, on the other hand, was arrested, and sentenced to ten years in prison for impersonation, fraud, and for being Fernando's accomplice which was a lot less than she deserved.Miguel and I had stuck around for the investigation, and I was pretty glad when it was finally over and done with. There was nothing more that I wanted in my life than to put the hellish past behind us and focus on the promise of the future.Whatever was in store for Miguel and me was something I was dying to see.The days after the incident at the Jet
Ava's POV Miguel was there, sleeping peacefully with Mary Grace cuddled into his side.My heart felt hurt and I wished for just one second I could turn back the hands of time —just to make myself worthy again.But all of those were just wishes.I couldn't risk another moment around them for fear of causing them more problems. It was clear that I was the secret ingredient for trouble. And for the people I loved to be safe, I had to be far from them.I scooped Mary Grace from her bed quietly not wanting to wake Miguel. I kissed her forehead, tears gathering in my eyes as I whispered. “I love you, sweetie, and I'll always be here. I'll always be watching you like a hawk but for now, mama has to go,” I pressed my lips to her head again, and again.“I'm going to miss you, darling, but don't worry you're in safe hands. Your dad will take good care of you,” I squeezed her in my arms and then finally laid her in the crib, not wanting to risk waking Miguel up by dropping her by his side as s
Ava's POV A gun rolled to the entrance of the cockpit and I only hesitated for a second before handing Mary Grace to Gracie. I knew what I had to do.I walked over to the door and picked it up as Lino stretched out his gun to Miguel. I stood behind them but none of them noticed my appearance in the room.The weapon was heavy but that didn't matter much. It was now or never, and I had to make a quick choice —a scary one but I didn't have much of a choice. I had never fired a gun in my life until this moment. But I had to do it, our lives depended on it.I focused my vision on him and the gun went off in my trembling hands.Lino's body dropped to the ground with a loud thud.If I had been just a second late he would have killed Miguel. I saved him. I saved the man I loved. Something about that numbed the guilt that came with taking a life.The gun slipped out of my hands to the ground as tears rolled down my face. Miguel's eyes met mine.I saw the worry etched on his features as I rush
Miguel's POVI raked a hand through my hair, listening to Perez fill me in about what happened at the hospital, and the men he had lost in the van explosion on their way here.Bastardo! My blood stirred.“Those were good men,” I mumbled, reeling in the loss as I ground my teeth and clenched my fist, “Lino. That scumbag,” I cursed, fuming inside.“I have everyone looking for him, and Mason. Perhaps he could lead us to him—”The sudden sound of the engine roaring to life echoed from behind us, and my head swirled to the Jet which was getting ready to take off.What the hell? I thought. Stunned.I creased a brow at the unbelievable sight before me. I could hardly believe it. I had no clue what was going on but that Jet was definitely not supposed to take off without an order from me.I couldn't understand it but Ava and my kids were in there, and that was all that mattered.Instantly, I sprinted towards the Jet, and Perez joined me as we raced to the aircraft. I grabbed the entry door be
Ava's POV“It's you. You're the traitor,” I mumbled as the realization hit me. This was why Perez couldn't tell me. It was Mason.How could this be? Even I couldn't believe it.It suddenly felt like my brain was processing in slow motion.My eyes darted to the injection in his hand, then to my daughter, and my eyes widened in shock.Panic washed over me and my hands began to tremble.“What were you trying to do to her?” I flared, clenching my fist tightly, “Were you going to hurt her—”“No, Ava—” he tried to cut me off but I didn't want to hear anything right now.“Get away from her!” I raised my voice. “Mi—” I opened my mouth to scream for Miguel but before I could make a sound Mason grabbed me quickly, pressing his palm to my lips tightly as he pushed me against the wall behind me.He sandwiched me to the wall, “Quiet,” he said, “Don’t scream, please,” he whispered against my ear, “Please,” he repeated, staring me in the eyes for over a minute.I tried to shove him off me but I fail
Ava's POVI bolted upright, my heart pounding against my chest as though it was trying to rip itself out of my body. I was anxious. No. More than that I felt unsettled and for no reason too. I just had this bad feeling in my gut that I couldn't quite shake. Something felt very wrong but I didn't know what it was.I sat up in bed, staring into the darkness with the only source of light being the moonlight spilling in through the window. The air in the room felt heavy, suffocating, as if laden with an ominous foreboding that I couldn't quite place, and the uneasiness tightened in the pit of my stomach. I suddenly felt stuffy and needed some air.I slipped out of bed and glanced over my baby’s crib to see if I had woken her. I hadn't. Mary Grace was still sound asleep.I sighed with relief and made my way to the door. I stumbled towards the door, but my heart jumped again as I heard the sudden sounds of hurried footsteps.My stomach tightened and I pushed the door open gently, peeking
Miguel's POVLino was alive? That couldn't be.I had set the place on fire. I had watched it burn. It had to be a lie. Nando was definitely lying. I glanced at him, “You're lying,” I said.“I'm not!” He yelled with desperation in his voice and words, “I swear it. Mason is involved. I can prove it. Where is he?” I hesitated and turned to one of my men, “Where is Mason?” I asked, right in front of Nando.The man shook his head, “I haven't seen him all day. None of us have,” he responded.The words echoed in my head, and Nando's voice echoed beside me, “He knows... he knows you're onto him, and he's made a run for it.”Nando’s words made sense, and my mind was starting to churn with all sorts of thoughts. There had been something off about Mason since we caught Nando— maybe even since Lino.He hadn't come down to the cell for once, and I had barely seen him. It was almost like he had been hiding away all this time, and I just never really noticed.Everything was starting to align in my
Ava’s POVIt was midday, and Gracie helped me with a napkin to wipe the breast milk that spilled down Mary Grace’s clothes while I was breastfeeding her. I wiped it, cleaned her face too, before lowering my shirt.I pulled her to my chest and cradled my precious baby in my arms as I began to hum a gentle lullaby. Miguel’s favourite one and I hoped it would one day be her favourite one too.The melody flowed from my lips like a soothing river, wrapping us in its tender embrace like a blanket and its effect was tremendous on my baby. Mary Grace fell straight to sleep with her palm clutched tightly around my finger. I noticed she loved to do that, and I loved the feel of her palm around my finger. It was warm, and it made me feel a tremendous amount of peace. I rocked her back and forth, with the rhythm of the lullaby, and Gracie grinned beside me, wrapping one hand around my arm while caressing Mary Grace with the other, although she let her be the minute she was asleep so she wouldn't
Miguel’s POVI walked out of the underground cell, making my way up to the ground floor. Perez spun around the second I entered the room, “I was just coming to see you,” he said as he slid his phone in his pocket.“I spoke with the doctor, he will be here shortly,” He reported, and I regarded him with a nod. “How’s he holding up?”“He’s still a long way from hell but I'll make sure he gets there,” I replied. Perez smiled, “He's more than earned it,” he remarked, “Care for a drink?” he gestured, raising the bottle for a second before going on to pour himself a glass.“Sure. I haven't had one in a while,” I motioned towards him, taking notice of the room. “Where's Mason?” I asked after a minute of not spotting him anywhere around the room. “I’m not sure but he should be outside,” he said, and offered me a glass of scotch. I gulped it all at once and lowered the glass to the table.“Any lead for the antidote yet?” He asked.I shook my head, “Not yet,” I paused, “But I was thinking, per