Avery's POV"Stop running around!""I came first!""Who started the race?""Don't play with the swing!"The noise from the children in the kindergarten fills my ears as I stand in the distance, watching them. My eyes sting with unshed tears as I watch the little boys run happily around the slide. Vivid memories of when I first held them in my arms flood my mind, and I bit my lip to prevent myself from sobbing loudly and attracting attention.A nice-looking lady, presumably the kindergarten teacher, holds the children to play with the rest of the other kids who were running around with so much energy in the open space of the kindergarten playground.I finally move my feet and settle on a bench,some distance away from the playground. The cool breeze and the noise from the children in the background bring a kind of serenity to me—a rare occasion for my turbulent mind. Sometimes,it is hard to face reality, and I still can't believe my reality from five years ago, when my whole life came c
Avery's POV My eyes slowly open, and an expensive chandelier dangling from the ceiling is the first thing that enters my vision. Where am I? I sit up on the bed,my heart hammering against my chest in panic, and memories of how I was knocked unconscious on the kindergarten playground flood my mind. My eyes scan the expensively furnished bedroom, and a scream almost escapes my throat when I see a man seated on a couch not far from the bed where I am sitting. He is fiercely handsome. He has dark hair that is perfectly slicked back, and his deep-set features are like those of a fallen angel. The first three buttons of his long sleeve are left open, and I can see a peek of a tattoo on his hard chest. He exudes an intimidating aura, and for some reason,I am very wary of him. I quickly climb down from the bed. "w..who..are you?" I ask,my voice shaking. A dark chuckle reverberates across the room. "Avery Rosaline Williams." He calls my full name, and I wonder why his voice sounds familia
Avery's POVI watch as the car drives away into the distance, and I sigh in relief. I turn to walk back into my apartment when I am engulfed in a hug. I am initially frightened, but I am calm as soon as that familiar scent reaches my nose. I smile, and I hug him back."Where exactly have you been?" He asks as soon as he breaks the hug."Awww,were you so worried about me?" I tease,my voice dripping with mischief."Of course I was. I mean—"I interrupt him. "Alright, Jake. I am fine. I just visited some new clients who were interested in my designs. Sorry for how I had you worried."I feel bad about lying to Jake, who has been nothing but a good friend to me, but I have no choice. Without being told,I know I have to be confidential about the entire situation with Ethan and the contract.If Jake feels I am hiding anything,he doesn't show it and gives me a bright smile. "Alright,red. I will be going now. Take care of yourself."I smile as I hear his nickname for me; he calls me red becaus
Avery's POV I sigh for the umpteenth time as I am unable to find a single idea for my jewelry design idea. A hobby that I have now developed into a skill over the past few years. My pencil hovers above the blank page of my drawing book, where all my ideas reside. My mind is unable to focus on the task at hand because my thoughts are occupied by a certain blue-eyed man. I finally drop the pencil and pick up my phone, opening the search bar at the top of the screen. I am at a loss for what to type because I only know him by his first name. My fingers tap rapidly on the phone's keyboard. 'Ethan Billionaire' appears on the search bar, and I tap the search icon. My eyes widen as I skim through the various articles that appear. There are many things I learn about him at once, and I feel as if I have been struck by lightning. I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that I was a surrogate for the wealthiest person in the country, Ethan Lorenzo. He is the owner of Kings Enterprise,
Avery's POVIt took a lot of personal conviction for me to come here. My feet come to a halt as the snobbish woman who is escorting me to the executive suite stops in front of an elevator labeled private. She presses for the top floor, which I am sure is where the executive suite is located, and we step inside the elevator,the woman before me.I almost roll my eyes when I see the king's emblem—a crown with an eagle on top—on the gold-plated walls of the elevator. Awkward silence ensues in the elevator, and I am more than grateful when the elevator door opens. I step outside the elevator into the brightly lit hallway, and I am amazed at the quietness."This floor is only used by the Lorenzo family; please remain in the suite till the chairman arrives." The woman whose name remains unknown to me instructs, handing me the key card, which I immediately take from her.I nod in understanding. "Thank you."She doesn't reply and walks away arrogantly,her heels clacking on the marble floor. Sh
Avery's POVI am trying to catch my breath when Ethan's words register in my brain, and I sit up immediately,all my tiredness gone. "What did you just say?""I said, Let's get married." He repeats, and I feel my eyes sting. Have I just been used by this man? I easily agreed to the idea of sleeping with him in exchange for meeting my sons, and now he is talking about marriage!He chuckles on noticing the look of despair on my face."Don't overthink it, kitten. I am not saying we should get married because I have fallen in love after fucking you. I plan on letting you meet them as their mother—"He pauses midsentence before cursing loudly and running his hands through his hair. "We are getting married on paper for the kids sake. You know all that happy family thingy?" Pointing to the both of us,he continues. "We are doing it."I take a deep breath before facing him. "This is too much,marri—"He laughs mockingly. "You want to get married for love and all that fairy tale thingy?"I shake my
Avery's POV"Our Mummy?" The boys ask in unison, and I can't help the small smile that stretches on my lips when I see the look of surprise on their faces.Lucas runs towards me, hugging me—or rather, my waist. "You really are my mummy?" I hear him ask, and I nod my head, unable to say a single word as I stare into his eyes that shine with tears, which makes my heart ache, and I unconsciously pat his dark hair."I am your mummy.." My words trail off as I catch a small figure hugging Ethan's legs quietly; it seems brandy left already. I almost forgot my other angel, Carlos. Ethan gives me a look, and I immediately understand that Carlos wasn't easy to coax..I feel my chest squeeze in pain but I force a smile and call."Carlos?"Carlos, however, shakes his head and looks at the other side. I feel my chest tighten immediately from Carlos's action. I feel a tug on my hands, and I look down to see Lucas pulling me towards the father-and-son duo who were standing together.I crouch down to
I can't help the gasp of surprise that escapes me as the car drives into the magnificent view of Ethan's mansion, undoubtedly my new home. The mansion is located in Kingsland Estate,the most expensive in the entire country—home to superstars, government officials, and the like. One of Father's dreams was to be able to afford a mansion in this place.Located in the heart of a huge expanse of land, Ethan's mansion has a wide area of beautiful tree plants planted on either side of the road leading to the mansion. I can see the beautiful view of a lake in the distance.The car comes to a stop in front of the mansion, and the door on my side is opened by a guard. As soon as I step outside,a maid dressed in a black and white uniform comes forward in an attempt to take my clutch and the file where our marriage certificate is placed—Ethan had made me hold it till we arrived here like some sort of trophy after we were given the certificate.I decline politely with a wave of my hands. "No need.
Avery's POV *Five years later*“No Ethan. It's already morning, let's get dressed.” I said, stifling a moan as I felt his hot tongue trail my skin.“Kitten, are you sure?” He rasped, his voice heavy with desire.It was hard to refuse, but we had to be up and doing. Today was going to be a long, eventful day.“I am very sure, honey.” I took a look at his grumpy expression and giggled. “We will have all the time later in the evening. Get dressed.” I instructed, my tone leaving no room for argument. He grumbles before climbing down the bed to pick up his joggers that we had discarded on the floor last night as we gave into our passion. I try so hard not to stare as he wears his joggers, but who am I kidding? Even after all these years, Ethan is still as breathtaking as ever, and it feels like he grows hotter as he ages.“I can feel your eyes on me, kitten.” He turned to face me with a smirk. “Let's just have a qui—”The door pushed open at that instant, and a beautiful, angelic voice fo
Avery's POV **Three months later**“The baby cannot stop kicking, and most of the time I am tempted to check for the gender, but I want to do that with you, honey. The boys won a math competition, and every time I think about it, I can't stop being proud of them because they did an incredible performance.” A smile formed on my lips, and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I am glad they didn't take after me; I hate math and can't stand it. I think our baby is going to be good in math too. And oh, speaking of babies, did I mention that Estella and Anita had given birth on the same day?”That was a month ago. I guess I must have mentioned it over and over again, but it didn't stop me. I have read that patients in coma could hear what was going on around them, so I didn't mind repeating some stories just to keep him from being lonely.A lot has happened in three months. Emilia had committed suicide two days after my visit that day to the detention center. Nana didn't bother to show any f
Avery’s POVThe cold salt water pushes into my lungs and eyes, but I swim harder, searching in the dark sea water for him.Ethan.Just as I desperately call for him in my heart, a stream of bright white light appears, and I see him slowly sinking into the depths. No! I swim faster, kicking my legs desperately and pushing my arms forward just in time to catch his hand.“Ethan!” My eyes snap open at once, and I realize it was a dream. My memories slowly returned to me, and a mixture of fear and anxiety welled up in me—the sound of gunshots echoing in my mind. I must have fainted.“Avery, please calm down.”“Try to take a deep breath.”“Call the doctor.”But I can't see anyone. I want to see Ethan. “Ethan. Where is he?” I yelled hysterically, trying to get down, and I felt two people pull me back. My vision slowly focused, and the worried faces of everyone in the ward were what I first noticed. Camilla and Anita still had their firm hold on my shoulders while Nana and Estella stood watc
Avery's POVMy eyes opened with a start, and a stream of light entered my vision. The horrid smell of gasoline filled my nose at once. I take in the sight of the small spaced room with iron plated walls and a small window that let in light. A small stair with about ten steps that led up to an iron door was on my left and another door,three steps away,stayed to my right. Unlike before when I had felt fear,I am filled with determination to leave this place. I had to,not just for myself but for my baby too.My hands are tied to an iron pole behind me, and a frustrated groan left me as I struggled to loosen the rope. I place my feet firmly on the floor and use my body weight to drag the chair forward, attempting to loosen the rope from my hand. Big beads of sweat rolled down my face, and a wave of tiredness started to grow in me, but I didn't give up.I am still struggling to loosen the rope when the door on my right is pushed open, Jake's voice following. “Don't worry about that, Red. Yo
Ethan's POVI couldn't find the courage to come outside the car. Immediately I left Avery in the house, I had ordered my men to find that ‘woman's’ location and report in less than an hour. The location was sent to me in ten minutes, and presently, I stared at the simple bungalow building located in the city’s developing area.Estella's annoyed sigh brings me out of my thoughts. “I still don't understand why you dragged me out here with you. I should be picking the right dress for the evening’s dinner.”“Estella.” I call, my voice low.She was still not listening as she continued to complain. “Or do you want to buy the houses around here? I really don't have too much knowledge about this t—”“She is here.” I interrupted, this time my voice firm and audible. “She has been in the city and met my wife to setup that dinner.”I don't need to clarify who this'she’ is because we both know. We had both gone through that phase together and somehow always knew when one of us meant to talk about
Avery's POV “Make sure to enjoy your weekend at Nana's place.” I instructed as I escorted the boys to the car that was waiting to take them to school.A small pout appears on Carlos face.“But I want to stay with you and baby.”“Yeah, mummy, I want to read a storybook to baby.” Lucas adds,I understand them. Just yesterday evening, we told them about the exciting news of the baby, and this morning, I am sending them to spend the weekend at Nana's. But I can't help it.Today is the day for the dinner meeting I set up for Camilla to meet Ethan and Estella. I am not sure of how Ethan might react when he returns from dinner later in the evening, so I am sending the boys to spend the weekend at Nana’s in case things don't go as planned.I bend down to their height and ruffle their hair. “You are going to spend the whole time with the baby when you are back.” They don't look convinced, and I quickly add. “Your daddy and I might move back to our old house after this.”Wide smiles appeared on
Avery's POV“Daddy, when can we see the new baby?” Lucas asks, and I can hear the excitement in his voice.It's the evening of the same day we visited Marcella in the hospital, and we had just finished having dinner. The boys and their father sat on the rug as they solved the several puzzle pieces in front of them, while I sat on an armchair knitting a beanie. I don't know, but visiting Marcella today sparked a new feeling of excitement in me, and I couldn't wait to see my baby.Ethan chuckles. “Are you that excited to meet him?”“Yes.” Carlos answered. “We would have a new friend.”I pause in my movements and look up to meet Ethan's gaze. He gives me a small nod, and I smile at him. There was no use delaying the news of the pregnancy to the boys. Warmth floods my chest at the realization that we could communicate with our eyes. It felt so natural and intimate.He returns my smile before turning his attention to the boys. “Boys,” he calls, and they both look up at him. Ethan continued
Avery's POV I hesitantly take a step forward when I enter Marcella's VIP maternity ward. I hadn't expected Nana and Estella to be here with Marcella. The cot where her baby boy is supposed to be lying is vacant, which meant he was taken away to check his vitals.The saying that blood is thicker than water might not have had any profound meaning to me until now. Even though they didn't know that they were related, they still found a way to be around her, and while we drove here, Ethan couldn't stop pondering why he felt so excited more than he should.Now that I look closely, Marcella’s hair, which was previously dyed brown and short, is now long and a rich shade of black, and her blue eyes are the same as those of Estella and Ethan!I suddenly feel a wave of guilt about hiding the truth from them, even though it's Camilla’s place to come clean.Warm arms pull me into an embrace, bringing me out of my thoughts, and I look down to see Nana hugging me.“My dear child, how have you been?
Ethan's POV“The kids.” I repeat, and a smirk forms on my lips when I see her dazed look.“What?”“The kids, sweetheart.”“Oh! Gosh,did I…” She trails off, and her cheeks turn red at once. I smirk and rub a thumb across her soft lips.“It's okay. I don't think they heard.”“Bu—”I gesture for her to keep quiet. The kitchen turns quiet, and we can now clearly hear the boys voices from the living room.“See? I gave them enough questions to keep them busy.” I grin, and relief washes across her features. “Then let's get this done and continue later, huh?”Avery winks. “You have to be fast, though. I can't wait, honey.”*I watched in horror as my mother tore my paintings apart into pieces as she screamed, her voice piercing through the quietness of the evening.“How many times have I told you to stop painting?” She thundered, making me recoil in shock. My nine year-old mind couldn't fathom the reason for her behavior.“Mum! Why are you behaving like this?” My older sister, Estella, yelled