Avery and Nathaniel sat in the dimly lit living room, the hushed sounds of the evening seeping through the walls as they grappled with the shadow of uncertainty that loomed over them. Avery's hands trembled involuntarily, a physical manifestation of the fear and worry that gnawed at her insides. Nathaniel's gaze never wavered from her, his concern etched in the furrow of his brow, a silent beacon of understanding in the midst of her turbulent emotions."Avery," Nathaniel's voice was a gentle caress, a soothing melody in the cacophony of her fears. "I can see how worried you are about Clara. We'll find her, I promise."Avery managed a shaky smile, a fragile facade that crumbled under the weight of her own deception. The burden of her hidden truth bore down on her, a heavy weight that threatened to suffocate her. "I appreciate your efforts, Nathaniel, but it's been days since I've heard from her. This silence, it's... it's not like her. I can't shake the feeling that something's really
The heavy silence in the room hung thick as Sasha Montgomery’s fury swirled like a storm waiting to break. She stood rigid by the large windows of the penthouse, her fists trembling with pent-up rage, her gaze locked on the dark city skyline below. Every inch of her body was a coil of tension, coiled tighter by the thought that Clara, the woman who had done nothing but undermine her and threaten everything the Montgomerys had worked for, was free.Free from her clutches when she wanted her dead! Sasha’s breathing came in short, controlled bursts, but inside, she was seething. She turned on her heels, pacing sharply across the marble floor, the sound of her high heels clicking like a countdown to disaster.“How the hell did she escape?” Sasha’s voice cracked through the silence like a whip. She spun to face the gathered men, her loyal but now crumbling team of enforcers. The group of burly, grim-faced men stood frozen, their eyes trained on the floor, not daring to meet her gaze. “You
Avery’s POV I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. It wasn’t just the guilt; it was the overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Clara... She almost didn’t make it. She was lying in that hospital bed, unconscious, and I was here, stuck at home with nothing to do but wait. I was supposed to be there with her, holding her hand, keeping her calm after everything she had been through. Instead, all I could do was cry, pacing around the living room, clutching my phone as if it could somehow make everything better.I couldn’t believe I had let it go this far. That one decision had almost cost Clara her life. Clara had put herself in the line of fire to help me…help me get back at the Montgomerys for everything they had done to me.I grabbed the sleeve of my sweatshirt and wiped my face. No time to wallow in guilt. Clara was strong. I had to believe that. She would make it through. She had to.My phone buzzed in my hand, and I nearly dropped it, startled. Nathaniel. I hesitated for a moment be
Nathaniel’s POV The gentle hum of the house faded behind me as I left the kitchen, feeling as though the entire world had fallen on my shoulders. My jaw tightened and my fists clenched at my sides as I moved farther away from my grandmother, who, for reasons I couldn't fathom, was determined to force me to bear with the Montgomerys. I had almost arrived at the entrance when I heard her firm yet gentle voice calling me back. My heart thumping in my chest, I froze for a second before slowly turning around.“Nathaniel,” she said, her voice always carrying that tone of maternal authority. “You need to visit the Montgomerys. They’re going through a hard time with that pharmaceutical company business. They could use your support.”I swallowed hard, trying to contain the sharp edge of frustration that immediately surged inside me. She had to be kidding. How could she still be so blind? How could she not know? But instead of snapping back immediately, I bit my tongue, breathing deeply. My t
AveryI glanced at the door again. Just then, the door creaked open. I froze, holding my breath. A nurse stepped inside, clipboard in hand, her white uniform crisp and clean. She had a detached look on her face, focused solely on the machines as she checked Clara’s vitals. My pulse quickened again, but I kept still, praying she wouldn’t notice me and at the same I was relieved it wasn’t Sasha’s men. “Everything seems stable,” she murmured to herself, clicking a few buttons on the monitor. “Oxygen levels are normal. Blood pressure within acceptable limits.”I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She was leaving. I could see her glancing at Clara one last time before she turned toward the door.Then, just as she stepped out of the room, I stood up from my crouch. My legs were shaky, and my head felt light, but I couldn’t waste time. I rushed to the side of the bed, my hands trembling as I carefully reached for the oxygen tube attached to Clara’s nose. The sound of the machine’s rhythmic be
Avery’s POV I stood there, motionless, watching Clara in the bed, her face pale but peaceful. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound that anchored me to reality. She would be fine, the doctor had said. It was just…nothing serious, but my heart still refused to slow down.Nathaniel was next to me, his expression unreadable as he stared at Clara with a tense jaw. His hand gripped mine, but his fingers didn’t offer the usual warmth. Instead, there was a cool, steely edge to his touch, as if the events of the past few hours had left a mark on him.The doctor had come in, performed his checks, and assured us that Clara would wake up soon. I tried to hang on to his every word, but I couldn’t shake the dread that had gnawed at me ever since I had rushed to the hospital.I’d barely thought about it…just a gut reaction, a sudden panic when I’d gotten the call that Clara might be at the mercy of Sasha’s hands. I hadn’t even considered the potential consequences.“You should
Sasha slammed her hand on the table, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent room. She stared down at the scattered papers, her blood boiling as her mind raced with frustration. How had it come to this? She had made plans and executed them flawlessly only for Clara to slip right through her fingers.“This is unbelievable!” Sasha snapped, her voice dripping with venom. “How could they let her escape? How could they let Avery of all people get involved?! This was supposed to be a controlled situation!”The men standing around the room shifted uncomfortably under her wrath, none of them daring to speak up. Sasha’s gaze flicked to each of them, her lips curling into a sneer. They were useless. All of them. She had ordered them to watch Clara like hawks and made sure to end her for good, and now they were standing there looking like frightened sheep. The thought made her blood pressure spike even further.“Tell me again,” she said, her voice a low growl, “who exactly was supposed to
Avery Her eyes fluttered and I was immediately at her side. Her soft, sleepy smile made everything feel like it might be okay again. "Avery," she whispered, her voice hoarse but steady. "Don't look at me like that. I'm fine." I gave her a tight smile, squeezing her hand. "You had us all worried, you know." "I know," she said with a soft chuckle, her eyes closing again as she yawned. "But I'm awake, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." "I'm so happy that you are awake, how could you have done that all alone, you should have called us, you should have told me your plans instead of endangering yourself like that, don't ever do that again Clara, I was scared to death." I couldn't help as I voiced my fear, she had a teasing smile on her lips as she looked at me. Beneath that, I could see that she was truly going through some pain but trying to act like she was okay. "I am sorry about what happened, I am sorry for doing all that without informing you, that was very wrong of me I w
Avery I let out a deep sigh as I stepped into the room where my father was placed, I watched with keen interest and let out sight he was deep asleep, I couldn’t wait for him to be fully aware of his surroundings, u sat next to him and slowly moved his matted hair away from his face. His body suddenly twitched and I took my hands immediately, I waited patiently for him to move again and then he did. A groan escaped his mouth as he opened his eyes and he looked at me.I held my breath controlling myself from screaming out of joy, seeing the man that brought me into this life slowly gaining his life back, in the silence… His eyes met mine, confusion clouding his gaze. “Avery…” His voice was a rasp, weak but filled with disbelief. “But… but you’re…” “Father,” my voice broke as I gulped several times trying to control the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. “Am I dead?” He asked and I couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “You’re not dead, I’m not dead, Father.” My voice broke as I sai
The dim lights of the club flickered above Sasha as she entered, her mind still reeling from the conversation with her mother. The sharp edges of her anger had dulled into a heavy sadness. She didn’t even know why she was here. Maybe it was the music, loud enough to drown out her thoughts. Or maybe it was the alcohol, which promised to numb the ache in her chest. She didn’t care. She just wanted to forget, even if for a little while.“How could she do this to me?!” She sniffed and blinked her eyes severally. Her heels clicked against the polished floor as she walked to the bar. She barely noticed the crowd of people dancing, the flashing neon lights, or the endless thumping bass. Everything felt distant, as if she were floating outside of her own body. She sat at the bar, the stool cold beneath her, and ordered the strongest wine they had.The bartender gave her a raised eyebrow but didn’t ask questions. Sasha took the glass in her trembling hands and brought it to her lips. The shar
Sasha paced in her room, Avery’s words echoing in her mind. “Father is not my father.” How could everything she knew about her life be a lie? She had always been Mr. Montgomery’s daughter, raised in the mansion, treated as his own. It didn’t make sense. Avery had to be wrong, but part of her wasn’t so sure.Her thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open, and her mother entered, immediately sensing something was wrong.“What’s bothering you, darling?” Mrs. Montgomery asked, her voice filled with concern.Sasha stopped pacing and turned to face her mother. “Nothing,” she said quickly, trying to hide her feelings.Mrs. Montgomery didn’t buy it. She took a step forward, her sharp eyes assessing Sasha’s expression. “You’re a terrible liar,” she said with a slight smile, though her tone remained concerned. “Now, come on. Dinner’s ready. I’ll get you something to eat, and you can tell me what’s really going on.”She followed her mother to the dining room. As they sat at the table,
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