When I regained consciousness, the world felt wrong. It was the kind of wrong you sense in your gut, but your mind is too clouded to process at first. My body ached, a deep, dull pain radiating from my neck and limbs. I tried to move, but the restraints holding me were tight, unforgiving. I could barely move my wrists, let alone my legs. My surroundings were unfamiliar, cold, metallic, and humming with the low, steady rumble of an engine. I blinked several times, trying to adjust to the dim light.The realization hit me slowly. I’m on a plane.I jerked my head to the side, feeling the sharp tug of the ropes, but nothing gave. There was no escape. The air around me was thin, carrying a stale scent that made my stomach churn. As I struggled to orient myself, I saw Elena. She was seated across from me, her gaze locked on mine, unwavering and predatory. “How long?” I rasped, my throat sore from the silence. My words felt foreign, like they hadn’t been used in days. “How long was I out?”
I sat in the study, the quiet hum of the house around me doing little to calm the storm swirling inside. My fingers absently tapped the edge of my desk, but I couldn’t focus on anything, nothing but her voice. “It’s disgusting, Lucas.”The words had landed heavier than I expected, heavier than I wanted to admit. They repeated in my mind, over and over, as though she was still standing in front of me, her eyes flashing with anger, her voice cutting through the space between us. Disgusting. The word felt like a punch. And I couldn’t quite shake the sting.I had gone too far, hadn’t I?I hadn’t meant to upset her, hadn’t meant to cross any lines. But watching her with Ryan tonight, seeing the way that man had looked at her and tried to touch her, I couldn’t sit by and pretend it was fine. She didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. But the way she’d turned on me, my attempt to protect her, to help, had been met with nothing but contempt.She doesn’t need me to protect her.That’s what her
By the time the next week rolled around, the plans to relocate the project team to Crescent Moon Pack were in their final stages. Everything was moving faster than I had expected. It felt like I had barely gotten my feet under me again after returning from the pack, and now I was heading back into their world. But this time, I wasn’t going to be there to stay. I had a project to manage, and my head was focused on the tasks ahead, not on the triplets or the complicated emotions that came with them. I only had one job to do, which was to do some research and avoid everything else. Ruby was also getting ready to leave. She’d been a great support to me, especially after everything that had happened with the triplets. But now, it was her turn. She had arranged an introduction between me and her mate before they traveled. She was insistent on it, and as much as I tried to avoid the subject, she wouldn’t let up. “I’m not going to leave without you meeting him,” she had said one evening whe
AveryThe phone slipped from my trembling fingers, clattering to the ground with a sharp, unforgiving sound. My eyes remained glued to Nathaniel, still processing what he had just said. It felt as if my heart had stopped beating, my entire body frozen in shock. I could hear the ringing in my ears, louder than anything else, drowning out everything he was saying.“Your dad is in a coma, Avery.”The words echoed in my head, over and over, but none of them seemed real. This couldn’t be happening. My mind was fighting against it. It had to be some mistake, some cruel joke. But Nathaniel’s face… it wasn’t joking. His expression was serious, filled with concern, but that didn’t make it easier to believe.“No,” I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. “No. That can’t be right. He’s fine. He is always fine.” My voice was small.Nathaniel stepped closer, crouching down to pick up my phone from the floor, but I barely noticed. My eyes were still locked on him, searching for some glimmer of re
NathanielI could feel the adrenaline surging through my veins even before Oliver finished speaking. Mr. Montgomery, the man who had always been the picture of strength, had collapsed. He was the kind of man who never showed weakness, someone who carried himself with an ironclad resolve, unbending in the face of adversity. So, hearing that he was in any sort of trouble felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me.I had to know what happened. Now.“Are you sure of what you are saying?” I asked and Oliver nodded “Yes I am very sure, there is no way I would have come up with fake news, I am telling you the truth.” “Olivia, what happened?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I meant. The words tumbled out faster than my brain could catch up.He was shaking her head, looking more flustered than I’d ever seen him. “I don’t know. I was just there when it happened. he just collapsed. They called the ambulance. I…” his voice trailed off, and I could see the worry on his face. The wo
Mrs. Montgomery’s heels clicked sharply on the polished floors of the hospital’s main corridor. She stepped forward with purpose. Today, her husband would die not by some tragic accident, but by her own hands. The last thread of his life would be severed, and everything he owned and everything he had promised her would finally be hers.She thought about Sasha and the things she had said. How Sasha had begged her to wait, to let nature take its course. But Mrs. Montgomery had never been one to wait. She had no patience for fate. No, she had worked too long, too hard, for too many years to let some accident stand in her way. She would finish what she had started.Her heart was a slow drumbeat in her chest as she reached Room 307, the door clearly marked with the name “Montgomery.” She gripped the handle, her fingers trembling, and turned it. The door creaked open, but what she saw inside stopped her cold.Empty.The bed, once cluttered with tubes, wires, and the frail form of her husban
Avery I paced back and forth in my room, the thick carpet beneath my feet wearing down with each anxious step. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, the weight of the world pressing down on my chest. Every second felt like an eternity. My father… was he okay? Was he still alive? The uncertainty gnawed at my insides, the fear of losing him clouding every thought in my head. I couldn’t stop myself from running through the worst-case scenarios over and over, each one more horrific than the last.“Take a deep breath, Avery,” Clara’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I hadn’t even noticed she had entered the room, but she stood by the door now, her brow furrowed with concern.“I can’t,” I replied, my voice tight, barely able to hide the tremor. “I don’t know what’s going on, Clara. My father could be in danger. I need to…”“You will know,” Clara said firmly, walking over to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. “Nathaniel’s going to take care of it. I’m sure of it. Your
“What do you mean, you can’t find him?” Mrs. Montgomery had screamed into the phone, the words sharp with panic, but the response had been nothing she wanted. Her voice cracked as she continued. “I’ve asked you three times, where is he? What’s going on?”Another pause, another incomprehensible answer. Mrs. Montgomery could feel the cold sweat breaking out along her temples.“Bunch of fools!” She yelled and ended the call. When the call finally ended, the silence left behind was suffocating. It wasn’t the kind of silence that felt like peace, it was heavy. Her mind raced, her pulse quickened, and still, no answers. Her husband was missing. They couldn’t find him. Again.A low growl escaped her throat, a sound she wasn’t even aware of making. She turned slowly, her body still tense, like a coiled spring ready to snap. Sasha was standing there in the doorway, her eyes wide, her face a mixture of confusion and concern.For a moment, Mrs. Montgomery didn’t speak. She just stared at her da
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