Avery“Mrs. Avery, you will be called up to the podium to give your speech soon. Do you need me to help you go over everything again?” My secretary inquired as she walked up to me in a hurry holding my phone in her hands.“There will be no need for that. I went over everything already,” I assured her. I had done that several times over because I knew how important today’s event was. It was an inaugural party held in my honor to take over the family’s business that has been in existence for generations as the new and approved CEO. My eyes skimmed the crowd of influential men dressed in impeccable suits with eye-pleasing-looking women clinging to their arms. The paparazzi and Journalists were scattered around the room, ready with their cameras as their keen eyes darted around for any inside scoop. However, I couldn’t see my husband Ethan anywhere among the crowd. “Have you seen my husband?” I inquired glancing towards my secretary once again.She shook her head, her brows furrowed. “N
AveryThe lights shone brightly. Almost blinding. I had to squint before I could see the detective in front of me. He motioned towards the nontransparent glass and the lights were turned away. “They all must be getting frustrated out there because you haven’t said a word for five minutes. You’ve been spacing out, Mrs Montgomery,” he said drawing my attention towards him. “I’m sorry. It’s been a crazy night,” I replied. How I got to the interrogation room was still a surprise to me. I had been in a daze. “It sure has. I’m sure you know why you are here,” he responded narrowing his eyes at me. I shook my head. I didn’t understand a thing about what he had said earlier and honestly, I just wanted to get out of here and get a moment to think for myself.“The allegations are clear Mrs Montgomery. You are suspected to have been distributing drugs that caused harm to the people of the city. Do you know anything about these allegations?” he inquired leaning towards the table. I frowned.
Avery“Move out of the way!” Someone yelled. My feet padded on the floor noisily and my body shook. Blood was all over my face making my vision blurry. People moved about frantically as I got moved from one stretcher to another. “We need more blood!” Another voice yelled out again. My clothes were ripped off me. Time seemed to pass by slowly and my eyelids became heavy. “We are losing her! To the operating room!” the voice barked out orders again. It felt like I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I closed my eyes and drifted off to the darkness that was slowly beckoning to me. ******The loud and continuous beeping of the monitor beside me woke me up with a start. I slowly opened my heavy-lidded eyes groaning in pain. I remembered how the truck hit me and I rolled in my car several times. My head pounded, and pain seared all over my body. I gradually realized trying to move my body was impossible. My eyes darted around for a while. I was in a hospital room and aside from my
Two years laterAvery"And now, before we go live to the inauguration ceremony, where Miss Sasha Montgomery is about to be made the new CEO, let’s ask her a few questions about how she currently feels. Miss Sasha, how does it feel to be taking on this new role?"The camera panned to Sasha who was standing confidently in the midst of a sea of reporters, surrounded by her bodyguards. "It's an incredible honor," she said with a smile. "I'm excited to lead this company into a new era of innovation and growth. With my guidance, Montgomery Corporation would be unlike anything else you’ve seen before.” I watched her keenly as she spoke. The sudden ringing of my phone drew my attention away from the television screen. I picked it up and placed it close to my ear. “Is it time yet?” The voice from the other end of the line inquired. I smiled and swirled the drink in my hand looking back towards Sasha who was still chattering to the reporters excitedly. “There’s still a little time before t
Avery“Come with me!” Mr. Hart said and I was pulled out of the crowd by him, his grip firm on my arm. I didn't resist, curious about what he was about to do, there was a sly smirk on my face as he led me away. He led me into a room, and I guessed he must have stayed here for the inauguration of my step-sister.As soon as the door closed, Mr. Hart turned to me, his eyes wide with shock. "Is this truly Avery?” His voice was laced with doubt as he asked and I rolled my eyes. “What did you think? A look-alike playing tricks, common Mr. Hart, you are a businessman and you know better!” “Avery, I thought you were dead. Your family held a funeral for you. You can’t blame me,” he shrugged.I sat down, unbothered, and poured myself a glass of wine. "That's interesting," I said, sipping it contentedly.Mr. Hart's expression turned serious. "What do you mean by the E7-1987 file, Avery? How do you know about it?"I set my glass down, my eyes locked on his. "You want to know what I mean? You w
Nathaniel"Sir, it's time to attend the inauguration of Sasha Montgomery as the new CEO of Montgomery Pharmaceuticals," Oliver, my secretary, reminded me.I nodded, my mind wandering to Avery. The mention of the Montgomery name always brought her to mind. Her death had come as a shock to me, and even though I had tried to distance myself from the pain, I couldn't help but feel a deep feeling of loss. I had always liked her, even when she rejected me in high school, even when she got married. I had stayed away, content with knowing she was happy. But her death was something else entirely…unexpected and shocking.I didn't want to attend the inauguration, it would only make me angry at the world and also make the memory of that ugly day linger in my head but as a business associates, I knew better than to let my personal feelings get the better of me. “Let’s go,” I replied to Oliver.My thoughts had taken over everything until I saw a familiar face walking beside me. My steps gradually
Sasha's heart was racing like a wild animal, threatening to burst out of her chest. She couldn't believe her eyes, Avery! The same person everyone thought was dead, was standing right in front of her. Sasha's mind screamed that it was a hallucination, a cruel trick of her imagination. But deep down, she knew what she saw was real.She had watched as she walked away and tried to make sense of what just happened but it seemed like life was playing a cruel joke on her, she was barely stable as she stood in front of the podium trying to give her speech."How is this possible?" Sasha thought to herself. "Avery died in the hospital. Right? How did she escape? How did she survive?" Then she remembered that they never truly confirmed her death, the doctor only informed them she was missing and after several months of hearing nothing from her, they all assumed she was dead.Fear crept in, wrapping its icy fingers around Sasha's heart. She felt like she was living in a nightmare, where the dead
AveryI stepped into the car, my heart racing. I couldn't believe how smoothly everything had gone. Meeting with Mr. Hart had been a breeze, and I was confident that he would verify the documents and get back to me soon.As the car took me back to the hotel, I felt a mix of emotions. Relief, excitement, and exhaustion all battled for dominance. I dropped my bag as soon as I arrived, too tired to care about anything else.I made my way to the bathroom, my body aching for a warm bath. I took off my clothes immediately and stepped into the bathtub, I stood in front of the mirror, naked and vulnerable, and I couldn't help but stare at the scars on my body. Scars from the accident, reminders of the pain and trauma I had endured.My eyes welled up with tears as I traced the scars with my fingers. My body had become ugly, a map of my suffering. I felt like I would never be able to escape the memories of that fateful day.I slumped into the bathtub, the warm water enveloping me like a hug. Bu
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
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
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
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
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
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?”
From where I stood, in the corner of their chamber, I noticed there was some other presence just like me, some other vampire like me was also present, and I could smell them.I watched as Agiel stabbed the girl on her chest, and I let out a grin, my whole body, thirsty for her blood, and as the man beside her took her away, I walked out of the room gently and unnoticed.I decided to head back to the vampire castle, but first I needed to know if what felt right, I needed to know if exactly there was another vampire.As soon as I was out of sight and into the bushes, I had the leaves rustle and I froze, not out of fear but the fact that I know that, whoever that is knows I'm a vampire.“Show yourself.” I said, as I lowered the hood of the jacket I was wearing, to cover my face, and protect me from the blazing sun.“Show yourself already and don't hide inside the bushes.” I said, looking around me.“Draven?” The voice called, out of surprise, I turned around, my eyes widened in disbelief
The door slammed behind Kingston, the echo lingering in the air like a warning. Jason stood by the window, his posture tense and jaw clenched, as though he was ready to throw someone else out if need be. The room felt charged, as though an unspoken threat lingered in every corner. I watched as Kingston walked to his car, turning around severally with a puzzled look on his face. “What the hell was that about?” I finally asked, breaking the heavy silence. My voice sounded stronger than I felt, but I wasn’t going to let Jason’s mood intimidate me.Jason turned, his dark eyes meeting mine with a stormy intensity. “You need to stay away from him, Willow. All of you do.”Ruby, seated on the couch, raised an eyebrow. “And why’s that? He seemed creepy, sure, but what’s the big deal?”Jason’s lips pressed into a hard line. “He’s not a good person, that’s the big deal. Trust me on this one. A few years ago, I worked on a case where Kingston was involved. I can’t go into details, but he’s bad n
I could see the pain and anger in Annalise's eyes as Agiel confessed all that he had done in the past. I couldn't help but feel her pain as she sat close to me, her hands trembling with pain and anger.Everyone in the room was horrified at what Agiel had done. The leader of the council ordered the guards to take him away as he would be executed in some days time.Annalise pulled away from my hug, as the guards walked Agiel out of the room, but as soon as Agiel was close to Annalise's side of the table, he tackled the guard and lunged at Annalise with a knife, stabbing her on the chest before I could even blink an eye.I stood frozen, breath caught in my throat as my eyes widened in disbelief. My face drained of color, lips parted slightly, as if trying to speak, but no words came out.A shiver ran through me, and my hands trembled, as I tried to touch the wounded part of her chest, my heart pounded erratically, as I couldn't tear my gaze from the horrible scene, unable to fully compre