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
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
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
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