NathanielI smiled warmly at my grandma, concern etched on my face. "Grandma, please rest. We can discuss helping the Montgomerys later." I said slowly massaging her palm but the look in her eyes showed she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. She insisted, her eyes sparkling as she locked her gaze with mine. "Nathaniel, dear, I'm fine. We can't just…"I gently interrupted, my voice firm. "Grandma, please. You need to recover first. Your health comes first before anything and I assure you we will talk about this later but this is not the right time to discuss this.” Just as she relented, the hospital room door swung open, and Sasha Montgomery walked in, her mother beside her. They carried a bouquet of vibrant flowers, their faces bright with smiles.My expression turned icy. How did they know Grandma was here? Our families had never been close, and I couldn't fathom why they were suddenly acting like long-lost friends. What are they doing here? Isn’t Grandma’s health supposed to be con
AveryI paced back and forth in my room, my eyes fixed on my phone. Where was Clara? I needed updates on Nathaniel's whereabouts. The silence was suffocating, and my mind conjured up worst-case scenarios. I know he is not the kind of person to suddenly show emotions, but I could see how worried he was the other time. Just as I was about to give up hope, my phone rang."Clara!" I exclaimed, answering the call."Hey, Avery! I've got news," Clara said, her voice laced with excitement."What is it?" I asked, my heart racing."Nathaniel's grandma fell sick, and he was rushed to the hospital," Clara explained.I exhaled a sigh of relief. "That's all?""No, there's more," Clara continued. "Your stepmother and sister visited Madam Hart too. I was shocked when my source told me about it, I don’t know when both families became that close.” “Sasha and her mom must have a plan if they visit Madam Hart,” I said my curiosity piqued. "Do you know why?"Clara hesitated. "No idea, but I have a bad f
The car ride home was a simmering pot of tension, Sasha's anger boiling over with every passing mile. She couldn’t believe her mother could suddenly make her a laughing stock, she knew what she was doing and she had her own way of seducing a man not making her look desperate, how could she do this to her, hurting her ego? "How could you, Mother?" Sasha's voice seethed, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery. "Visiting Madam Hart in the hospital? That was not part of the plan. I wouldn’t have followed you if you mentioned it was Nathaniel’s grandma!” Mrs. Montgomery's calm demeanor only fueled Sasha's ire."I know what I'm doing, dear," her mother replied, checking her reflection in the rearview mirror.Sasha's scoff was incredulous. "You have no idea! You've ruined everything. Nathaniel will suspect I'm after him now. He'll think it's all business, and he'll push me away."The silence between them was oppressive, Sasha's frustration building with each passing moment."Why did you do
Avery “Fuck!” I muttered under my breath. I couldn't believe Sasha saw me. The shock still lingered, my mind replaying the moment our eyes met. My heart was racing, my palms slick with sweat, and my grip on my purse became tight as the driver pulled up to Nathaniel's mansion, I hadn’t expected this encounter, it wasn’t part of what I had in mind at all. The imposing gates swung open, and the security guard nodded in recognition, his expression professional while mine remained neutral. "Good evening, Miss Avery," he said, his voice firm but polite. I forced a smile, still trying to shake off the tension. "Good evening. Is Mr. Hart in the building?” I asked with a kind smile on my face. “Yes,” he replied. The guard's eyes scanned the surrounding area before returning to me. "You're clear to enter ma’am, he asked us to let you in as soon as you arrive. “ “Thank you,” I nodded, my driver accelerating into the winding driveway. The mansion's facade came into view, its eleg
“Do you want me to help…”“Shut up! And get the hell out of my car!”Sasha screamed at the driver who jumped out of the car immediately, he wasn’t sure of what he had done but he knew he had made her angry. Sasha hissed and stepped out of the car, she slammed the car door shut, the metallic clang echoing through the evening air. Her anger and frustration boiled over, her chest heaving with each ragged breath. She stormed into the mansion, her heels clicking on the polished marble floor. The sound reverberated through the hallway, disturbing the eerie silence that was once in the mansion. "Mother!" she called out. “I am here! Where are you now?!” Mrs. Montgomery emerged from the study, a crystal glass of whiskey in hand, the liquid glowing in the soft light. Her expression remained calm, as she looked at Sasha who was an opposite of her, she was angry, livid must say. "Sasha, what's wrong?" she asked. “You shouldn’t work yourself up too much you know, you shouldn’t.” Sasha's eyes
AveryI stood before the mirror, my gaze locked on my reflection. A sly smile spread across my face as I slowly dressed, each movement deliberated. The black dress hugged my curves, its darkness a reflection of my intentions. What a sad day it’s going to be for the Montgomerys and all I can do is help them mourn, I chuckled a bit never knowing I could have such an intention towards the people I once called family. "I've waited for this moment for so long," I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible. The hatred I'd harbored for the Montgomerys simmered all over me. I adjusted the hat, ensuring it covered more than half my face. Anonymity was key tonight. I couldn't risk being recognized, since I haven’t cleared my case with the police, I might end up in prison instead of them if I am found. My thoughts swirled just as I swirled the glass of wine in my hand. The Montgomerys had destroyed me, left me for dead. But I'd risen, stronger and more determined. Tonight, I'd watch them
Avery I froze, my heart racing as the second gunshot echoed through the hall. This wasn't part of the plan. How could there be a sudden gunshot? Is there someone else who had plans for today, Nathaniel and I had agreed on something simple, no violence. What was happening?“I have to go back to the hall?” I mumbled to myself and Ethan arched his brows at me. “You can’t tell me you are walking into danger, people are running out and you want to go in there what if you are shot?!” Ethan yelled at me and I glared at him.“Then you should be happy I am completely gone, whatever I do is none of your business!” I said through gritted teeth and turned around to walk into the hall but Ethan grabbed my hand just in time. “Avery wait! This is stupid!” “Get your fucking hand off me!” I screamed at him but he refused to let me go, I pulled my hand angrily and scowled at him. “Don’t ever!” I growled and turned walking away. "Avery, wait!" I heard Ethan's frantic voice behind me, but I didn't
Nathaniel I watched intently as the prosecutors took the stage to question the Montgomerys. Finally, justice will be served. I was glad that everything was working perfectly just the way we had planned it, I tilted my head to search for Avery, I wanted to see the reaction on her face but I watched as she walked out of the hall, I wanted to go after her, perhaps everything was too much for her. I halted after taking my first step, I shouldn’t disturb her and she wouldn’t like us being in an open place together, she wouldn’t want anyone to see us together, so I tore my eyes from the door and focused on the victory dancing in front of me. But before the prosecutors could go any further, a sudden gunshot echoed through the hall. The crowd erupted into chaos, I was begging shocked. I hadn’t expected a sudden gunshot out of nowhere. I was suddenly scared hoping no one was going to hurt Avery. I need to find her! I need to take her out of this messy place. "Avery!" I yelled, frantically
AveryThe warmth of the conversation between Clara, Nathaniel, and me was a welcomed reprieve from the chaos that had been unfolding around us. For the first time in what felt like forever, I could finally breathe a little easier. My father had woken up, and though his condition was still delicate, he was awake alive and that was all that mattered to me right now. I could finally smile again, and laugh again. The burden that had been pressing on my chest for so long was beginning to lift.“Clara, you have no idea how relieved I am,” I said, as I leaned back in my seat beside Nathaniel, my heart still beating a little faster with excitement. “I never thought I would see him open his eyes again.”Clara smiled back, her expression warm and understanding. “You’ve been so strong, Avery. I’m happy for you.”Nathaniel, sitting beside me, reached out and gently took my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “We’ve all been through a lot, but things are looking up now,” he said, his voice stead
Sasha paced furiously around the room, her mind spinning with the information that Ethan had just unloaded on her. Each thought bounced off the walls of her head like an unrelenting echo. How had Nathaniel and Avery met? More importantly, how had she missed the connection between them? There was never a moment she noticed them being close before Avery was supposed to be dead, it felt like they were two people that lived in a different world so how did it all happen? When are where had they met? It was just like a puzzle she couldn’t solve and as she thought about it, it only confused her the more… feeling more baffled than she will ever admit. "How did I not see this?" she muttered to herself, clenching her fists. She couldn't wrap her head around it…Avery and Nathaniel? How had he come into her life? And why had he interfered when they were so close to finishing their plans? She had to know the truth. She had to understand how deep this betrayal ran.She couldn’t help but wonder if
Avery“Are you okay?” I suddenly heard Nathaniel’s voice beside me and I tilted my head to look at him, I had a smile on my face as I nodded my head to let him know I was fine. We had decided to visit my dad today and I was a bit nervous, hoping he was finer than the way he was the last time I visited.The room was quiet, save for the soft beeping of the machines monitoring his vitals. My eyes immediately went to the bed, where my father lay, connected to a series of tubes and wires. His face was pale, almost ghostly, but I could still see the familiar features, the sharp jaw, the soft lines around his eyes, and the dark hair that was now more salt than pepper. A tight knot formed in my stomach, seeing him so vulnerable, so broken. I had spent time wondering if I would ever hear his voice again.Nathaniel gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “He’ll wake up, Avery. He’s strong. Your father’s been through worse.”I nodded, but the ache in my chest didn’t go away. I wanted to believe him, but
“I can’t believe this inspector, it looks like you are imposing on us,” Mrs. Montgomery stated trying to hide the anger brewing deep inside of her. “I am not imposing please, I am only stating based on what is written here, I dare not impose on you Mrs. and Miss Montgomery,” the inspector replied and Sasha clenched her hands beside her. She hated the fact they didn’t take her and her mom seriously, it seemed like they had become a subject of mockery, the once respected family as become nothing to them, something they could talk and trash just the way they deemed fit, she hated this, the hated the feelings and she looked at her mom. For the first time in the whole of her existence, she saw that the woman was dumbfounded, and had nothing to say… of course, they had nothing to say at this point, how would they ever be able to defend themselves, it wasn’t an easy one at all. She had always been the one in control, the one who kept her family's secrets close, the one who maneuvered thr
AveryI burst into laughter, my head lolling back as Nathaniel continued speaking, I never knew he had this goofy part of him, it was beautiful to watch and his beautiful face in the darkness made it better, I watched him as he looked serious quite enjoying the conversation just like I do. “I swear, Avery,” he chuckled, his voice warm, “You can’t possibly be serious. The way you’re acting is enough to make anyone believe you’re planning world domination.” He grinned at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “It’s not bad if you do I ate the world, I am very sure everyone will readily go on their knees to worship the empress!” I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “You don’t understand. It’s all about strategy. You have to think ahead. Like chess, Nathaniel.”He raised an eyebrow, feigning interest. “Oh? Tell me, Queen Avery, how would you take over the world? What’s your first move?”I bit my lip, pretending to think. “Well, first, I’d take control of all the ice cream factories,”
The early morning light filtered through the half-closed curtains, casting a soft, warm glow on the room as Sasha paced back and forth. Her thoughts were scattered, emotions roiling within her. She had been up for hours. She glanced at the large clock in the sitting room and it was past eight in the morning, her mother never slept out and she wondered where she had spent the night, it was so unusual, something that never happens which left her worrying, she had called her several times and she is not picking up the call. As if on cue, the door creaked open, and Mrs. Montgomery walked into the room. Her eyes fell on Sasha and her gaze hardened immediately. "Mom," Sasha said, her voice calm but strained with underlying frustration. "Where were you last night? You didn't come home. And... I need to know what you have been into."Mrs. Montgomery froze for a moment, her body stiffening at the question. Then, without meeting Sasha's gaze, she walked further into the room, her heels click
The room was quiet except for the sound of their breath, heavy and in sync. Mrs. Montgomery let out a long, shaky sigh as Joe rolled off of her, his movements slow and deliberate. He settled onto the bed, his eyes never leaving her. She lay beside him, staring at the ceiling, her fingers absently tracing the lines of the sheets.Joe propped himself up on one elbow, his gaze studying her with a mix of concern and curiosity. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low. "Even after everything, you still don't look okay."Mrs. Montgomery didn't immediately respond, her mind racing with the events of the past few hours. She wanted to find peace, wanted to push the anger and frustration aside, but it was like an unshakable weight pressing on her chest. Her fingers clenched into fists at her sides, and she finally turned her head to meet his eyes. "I'm still angry," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "Angry about what the officers did to me, to my family. And now the company…” She paus
AveryI lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to shake the nagging thought that had been plaguing me all night. No matter how hard I tried to close my eyes, the images and questions kept racing through my mind. How long had it been going on? How could she have done this to my father? I had always thought of my stepmother as a picture of grace and loyalty. She was so poised, so calculated in everything she did. Never in a million years did I imagine she could betray my father like this. He loved her, he had trusted her completely, and now, I had to face the truth that she had been unfaithful.The thought of it made my stomach churn. It was a bitter pill to swallow, I felt much more bad wondering how my father was going to feel when he woke up and learned about this, how was he going to react? The woman he had been married to for all those years. I couldn’t stop wondering when it had all started. How long had she been hiding this secret? And why?The room felt too quiet, too still,
The rain came down hard, splattering against the pavement in relentless sheets. Mrs. Montgomery stepped out of the black sedan, her heels tapping against the stone walkway as she quickly opened her umbrella. She didn’t care about the cold or the wetness, the storm reflecting her own inner turmoil. The house ahead was a solitary mansion, isolated far from the city, away from prying eyes. This was the place she had chosen, the place where secrets could breathe in the shadows.As she made her way up the steps, she could feel the anxiety gnawing at her. With each step, the tension in her chest grew, she was tired, she needed answers and at the same time, she needed to be in the presence of someone who could calm her down. This wasn’t the first time she had visited this place, she had been frequenting this place for years and she was just lucky she was never caught by anyone. She pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway. The air smelled of smoke, thick and heavy, lingering like a