Chapter 3

Chapter Three - Innocent Consequences

Aria's POV

Damon Stone. That name does ring a bell. I know him to be a famous and influential man. What I really do not understand is how Ava got entangled with him. From what I am beginning to understand, Ava pretended to be in love with him and went ahead to steal his money. Lord knows it has to be a fortune to get someone as wealthy as him this riled up.

A part of me remains in doubt - she's my sister, after all. It's hard to believe Ava would do such a thing, but then again, why would someone as powerful as Damon Stone lie about her for no reason? 

What would he stand to gain?

"I can see that prison does not scare you. You must have been there a few times." Damon's hoarse voice jolts me out of my thoughts and back to reality. I swallow hard as my eyes remain fixated on the screen of his phone.

I immediately shudder at the thought of having to spend my life in prison when I just got out of the hospital. My heart begins to race extremely fast as I fall to my knees and begin to plead. "I do not know what my twin sister, Ava, has done to you in the past, but I need you to believe me. I swear I am not Ava." I cry out.

I watch Damon shove his phone back into his pocket. He squints his eyes at me in confusion. I watch him rub the back of his neck and his tough demeanor actually softens. He sighs heavily and raises a brow at me. "Are you really not Ava?" 

I choke out a small cry and nod my head slowly. "Yes, yes, please. I am not Ava. My name is Aria and I just woke up from a coma. That is why you saw me at the hospital. I’m Ava's twin and have not seen her for two years; that’s how long I was in the coma. Please, trust me." I plead with tears streaming down my cheeks, I hope in my heart that Damon would at least show sympathy.

"Why should I trust you? Ava never told me she had a twin sister." He points out. I run a hand through my hair in frustration. Why did Ava never tell him about me? Ava owes me a lot of explanation. Finding Ava is the only way to prove to Damon that I am truly her twin sister. Plus, I need to see my family anyway. 

"I can prove it." I blurt out feigning confidence. I hastily wipe the tears from my eyes and nod my head proudly. "Follow me to my family's house and I will show you that Ava and I are entirely two different people," I say.

Damon strokes his chin slowly, he begins to pace the room and I can tell that he is considering listening to me. I really hope he does. That is the only way for me to obtain my freedom and get an explanation of what happened to me and how I got into an accident.

"I will send one of my bodyguards to follow you to your family house. You must be able to prove your innocence. If you can not and I find out that you are Ava playing tricks on me then you will regret the day you and I met." Damon says with so much bitterness. I suddenly feel guilty as I wonder how much Ava really hurt him. He looks shattered, damaged and broken.

Damon does not waste any more time; he orders one of his bodyguards to escort me to my house. 

The bodyguard takes the SUV car and I direct him home. As we slowly approach the house where Ava and my adoptive parents used to live, my heart begins to race extremely fast, and my palms become sweaty.

 The hairs on my skin rise as I think of what to say to them. It has only been two years yet it feels like I have been apart from them for a decade.

"We are here," I mutter as the bodyguard pulls the car to a stop. I get out of the car and slowly approach the small bungalow. Nothing has changed, to be honest; the flowers in our garden are still booming, and the painting of the house looks slightly neater. 

"Even if Ava is not home, there should be at least some documents that will prove that Ava and I are only twins but not the same person," I say to the bodyguard but he looks absolutely uninterested in that. 

"Do whatever you have to do but do not keep Master Damon waiting. He hates to be delayed. His time is very precious to him so use it right." His words sound more like a piece of advice but also like an order. 

I nod my head in agreement with him and make my way towards the front wooden door. I release a heavy sigh as I slowly ring the doorbell. At first, there is no response, and my first thought is that I haven't rung it loudly enough. I attempt to ring it the second time but suddenly the door opens wide.

An unfamiliar face stands at the doorway looking quizzically at me.

"Who are you?" I ask.

She smiles warmly at me and says in an excited tone. "Oh my goodness! You look so much like the lady who sold this house to us. Did she ask you--"

My attention drifts away the moment the woman mentions selling the house. Ava sold the house? Why? 

How am I supposed to reach her when I can't even find my phone? Where have Ava and my adoptive parents disappeared to? And why does it feel like Ava has suddenly cut all ties with me?

Was all of that intentional? 

How am I supposed to convince Mr. Damon that I'm Aria, not Ava?

I'm screwed! I can't believe I might be locked up for something Ava did.