"Alva!" Freya cried, her voice breaking as she watched Alva being carried away by her brother. Alva closed her eyes tightly, refusing to look back. She turned her face away, her silence cutting deeper than words. Behind her, Freya broke down, covering her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. The Lundes got into their car, and in moments, they were gone, leaving Freya sobbing quietly. Marianne turned to her, her tone cold but controlled. "You should go home, Freya," she said. "You betrayed your best friend, someone who trusted you with her life. You can’t be surprised by her actions now." Freya wiped her tears, her face full of regret. "I understand, ma’am. Thank you," she whispered before glancing at Jonas. His glare pierced through her, and she quickly looked away, walking off without another word. Jonas remained seated, his expression unreadable. Marianne sat across from him, studying his face. "You seem sad," she said gently. "But you should be happy for Alva. After ev
As Marianne left, Jonas sat in silence, guilt consuming him. His thoughts were a storm of regret as he replayed all the things he had said and done to Alva. Each memory felt like a dagger to his chest, and he couldn’t shake the overwhelming sense of shame. Meanwhile, Alva’s eyes widened as Nikolai, tall and strong, carried her effortlessly into the house. She was taken aback by his strength and the care he showed as he gently laid her down on a king-sized bed in a pristine white room. The room was breathtaking, with its elegant decor and soft lighting. On a nearby table, her gaze fell on a large photo of a baby. The moment she saw it, her heart skipped a beat. That baby was her. Memories of her early childhood, blurry and fragmented, suddenly came rushing back like a flood. Her grandfather, mother, Nikolai, and Vidar followed her into the room, all watching her with expressions of love and curiosity as she settled on the bed. “I should make you some breakfast,” her mother sudd
Alva was sleeping when she felt a hand lightly rubbing her ankle. Her eyes shot open, her heart racing for a moment before she recognized Nikolai sitting at the edge of her bed. Confusion flickered across her face as she tried to pull her leg away instinctively. But his grip was firm yet gentle. “Don’t move,” he said softly, concern etched into his features. “You’re going to hurt yourself. It must hurt a lot, doesn’t it?” She hesitated before nodding. “Yeah, it does,” she admitted quietly. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “That workaholic Vidar has gone back to the company. While we were shopping, he kept getting calls, said he had a quick meeting, and left. Thea later joined us. She and mom are still out there, spending every last dime, I think. I had to leave them and come back.” Alva blinked, still trying to process his presence. “Oh… okay. I was waiting for Grandpa, but he never came.” A sigh escaped Nikolai’s lips, and for a moment, his expression darkened. “Act
Nikolai nodded, trying hard to keep his anger under control. He carefully tied the bandage around Alva’s ankle, his hands steady despite the storm of emotions inside him. Once done, he left the room to wash his hands. When he returned, he sat closer to Alva on the bed. Gently stroking her hair, he said, “You’re so beautiful, Alva. You remind me so much of Mom. You look just like her. The first time I saw your picture, I felt like I’d seen you before. But it didn’t click then that you might actually be my sister.” He paused for a moment, his voice softening. “Grandpa was the one who figured it out first. After Thea was adopted, I tried to love her as my sister. I really did. But… it never felt the same.” Alva stayed quiet, sensing the raw emotion in his words. “I still remember when we were little,” Nikolai continued, his lips curving into a bittersweet smile. “You used to call me ‘big brother.’ You loved playing with me. You’d pull my hair, laugh when I crawled around pretendi
Karina walked in with Thea, their arms overloaded with shopping bags. Behind them, a small group of supermarket staff followed, carrying even more. Alva’s eyes widened, disbelief etched on her face as the sheer volume of bags kept piling into the room. When the last of the bags had been unloaded and the staff finally left, Alva could only gape at the mountain of items. Karina perched beside her on the bed, her expression soft and apologetic, though a warm smile lingered on her lips. "I might have gone a little overboard," Karina admitted sheepishly. "I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I just... got a bit of everything." Her smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a look of deep vulnerability. "When I found out I had a daughter, I made sure this room stayed exactly the way it was. This was your room when you were little." Her voice wavered, and Alva could see the emotion brimming in her eyes. "I’ve kept it this way all these years. Even your baby clothes are still here. I had the ro
Alva smiled faintly at her mother, but her mind was a storm of emotions. "I don’t even know how I feel, Mom," she admitted, her voice soft and hesitant. "I can’t say if I love Jonas or not. Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I’m just… lost. Right now, I want to focus on my life....on college, on my dreams, and on preparing to be a mother. That already feels overwhelming." Karina reached out, pulling Alva's cheeks lovingly. Her gaze brimmed with love and determination. "You’ll have everything you want, Alva. I promise you that. No matter what it takes, I’ll make sure your dreams come true." Meanwhile, across the city, Marianne sat in a quiet, tension-filled room with her husband, Troy. His sharp gaze bore into her, his patience visibly wearing thin. "Marianne," he said, his voice firm but steady. "You’ve been saying you need to tell me something, but you keep holding back. Just spit it out." She fidgeted, wringing her hands together. "I’m worried, Troy," she admitted. "What I have to
After Nikolai finished explaining everything, Karina shot to her feet, her face flushed with anger as she clenched her fists. "How dare that mother and son treat you like this?" she snapped, her voice trembling with fury. "Mom, it’s okay," Nikolai said gently, placing a steady hand on her arm. "Don’t let this upset you too much. Leave everything to us, alright? You’ve been moving around all day, and it’s not good for your health. Why don’t you take a shower and rest? We don’t want your blood pressure spiking. Grandpa would worry if...." Karina fixed him with a sharp look, cutting him off. "So now you’re my doctor? Don’t worry about me, Nikolai. I’m fine. I just want to stay here with my daughter a little longer." "But Mom," Nikolai countered softly, "Alva needs rest too. She’s pregnant, and her ankle is still healing. How about this....why don’t you take a shower and lie down for a bit? You’ll feel better, and you can spend more time with her later." Karina hesitated, her lips pre
Freya’s sniffles echoed through her small, cozy apartment as she sat on the couch hugging a pillow. Her eyes were red and puffy, and the tissue box beside her had taken quite the hit. No matter how hard she tried to stop crying, memories of Alva flooded her mind.She remembered the time they’d challenged each other to eat an entire cake in one sitting, only to get sick halfway through. And who could forget the time they’d tried to dye their hair but ended up with Freya’s turning green and Alva’s an unfortunate shade of orange? There was also the time when they pretended to be big shots, went into a clothing store and tried on the most ridiculous outfits in a store just to laugh at each other in the mirror.Freya let out a watery chuckle at the memories before fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “I should’ve just returned the card,” she muttered, wiping her nose. “I wouldn’t have lost my best friend if I’d just given it back.”She sat there, wallowing, when another thought struck her
Vidar emerged from the bar, the weight of his meeting still lingering in his steps. He went towards the hotel's entrance, his thoughts drifting to the quiet solace of his room. Yet, just as the idea of retreating crossed his mind, he remembered Alva. "She's still in the garden with Jonas," he thought. He hesitated. "Should I give them some privacy?" The idea was tempting, he trusted Alva, and he didn’t want to intrude on her moment. But another part of him insisted, "No, I should check on them just once to see if Alva is okay." Vidar sighed, running a hand through his hair. Alva was too young to be in such a relationship.....in his opinion. Yet, here she was......head over heels for Jonas and carrying his child. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but Vidar had made peace with it. Alva’s happiness was what mattered most, and if Jonas made her happy, then Vidar wasn’t going to stand in the way. Still, his protective instincts urged him to take a quick look. 'Checking on her just on
"Hi, Nikolai, this is Freya, Alva's best friend. Alva just asked me if you and I have spoken, and I remembered she gave me your number and mentioned you were going to call me. Is everything okay with you?" Freya stared at the message she had just typed into her phone, her thumb hovering over the send button. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she let out a shaky sigh. The thought of sending the message filled her with dread. She knew she could never send such a message. Lying on her bed, she clenched her phone tightly. She could almost hear Alva's voice in her head, teasing her about her feelings for Nikolai. Freya shook her head, trying to dispel the nervous thoughts. Just as she was about to delete the message, her mother’s voice rang out behind her, startling her. “What are you doing, Freya?” Freya bolted upright, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly turned her phone screen downward and tossed it onto the bed before spinning around to face her mom. “Nothing! Just..
Alva stepped back abruptly, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at Jonas, unable to believe her eyes. The world around her seemed to blur, and all she could focus on was him, standing there with that familiar look in his eyes....an expression she had tried to forget but couldn’t. "Jonas..." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her racing heartbeat. Jonas gave her a small, apologetic smile. "Yes, it's me." His voice was warm, yet there was a hint of hesitation. "I’m sorry you haven't heard from me in a while. I thought you needed time to adjust to everything in your new environment. And, honestly, it’s been difficult not talking to you." She blinked, struggling to process his words. "So you followed me all the way here?" Her tone was accusatory, but the fluttering in her chest betrayed her annoyance. Jonas chuckled softly, the sound rich and soothing. "No, not exactly. If I’d known you were in Denmark, I would have been more prepared. This is a surp
Alva stretched her legs cautiously, testing her ankle with a few steps. Then, with a sudden burst of confidence, she strode across her room and twirled around. “Perfect!” she declared to the empty space. “Goodbye, crutches. Hello, independence!” Vidar, walking by her room, poked his head in. “Did you just say goodbye to inanimate objects? Should I be concerned?” Alva grinned. “Laugh all you want, Vidar. You don’t know what it’s like to walk with crutches or limp around.” “True,” Vidar agreed, leaning against the doorframe. “But you’re walking fine now, so no slacking for you, especially during this workshop. You’ll be networking like a pro.” “Networking?” Alva groaned. “Why does that sound like a punishment?” Vidar smirked. “Because it is. But you’ll survive. I’ll make sure of it.” At this time, Thea was pacing her room, muttering under her breath. “If Alva hadn’t come along, I would’ve been the one going on this trip with Vidar,” her voice dripped with resentment as s
Freya sat nervously in the corner of the small eatery. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. The place was warm and simple, with soft chatter and the clinking of plates filling the room. Across from her, Jonas leaned back in his chair, watching her closely. His gaze was sharp but didn’t feel mean. “Relax, Freya,” Jonas said, a small smile on his face. “You look like I called you here to yell at you.” Freya shifted in her seat, trying to smile back. “It’s not that… I just don’t know why you wanted to meet.” “Let’s start with dinner,” he said, pointing at the menu in front of them. Freya shook her head quickly. “I already ate. I’m not hungry.” Jonas raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He set the menu aside and leaned forward, his face turning serious. “Alright, let’s get to the point. Freya, I was angry with you before. Because of what you did, I kept misunderstanding Alva, and things between us got bad.” Freya’s stomach twisted with guilt. She opened her mouth to apol
Freya’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she grabbed Alva’s hand tightly. “You’re incredible. I knew you were destined for greatness, Alva, but CEO? That’s next-level stuff. I’m so proud of you!” “Thank you,” Alva replied, squeezing her friend’s hand. “And when the time comes, you can come work with me in the company. We’ll run it together.” Freya’s lip quivered, and she blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears in check. “Alva, you’re the best friend anyone could ask for. No, scratch that—you’re the best human being alive.” Alva giggled. “Don’t cry, Freya. Save the waterworks for the CEO inauguration.” “I can’t help it!” Freya wailed dramatically before pulling Alva into a bone-crushing hug. “I’m the luckiest person in the world to have you.” As Freya finally released her, she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, smiling brightly. “So… can I come on this fancy business trip too? I’ll hide in your suitcase.” Alva shook her head, laughing. “No can do.” “Why not?
Thea’s fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her teeth ground against each other as she watched Alva bask in the warmth of everyone’s affection. The realization hit her like a slap to the face—Alva had planned this. She had the evidence all along and had played the helpless victim, crying her way into everyone’s hearts. And Thea? Thea had walked right into her trap. Her head began to spin as her mind screamed, 'I was outsmarted by her?' “How could I be so foolish?” Thea muttered under her breath, her voice so low only she could hear it. Karina’s voice snapped Thea out of her angry thoughts. “I will think of a befitting punishment for what you’ve done,” Karina said, her gaze icy as she looked down at her daughter sprawled on the floor, still feigning remorse. “Mom, I didn’t....” “You’re grounded for a month, for now, until I think of a much better punishment,” Karina declared firmly, cutting off Thea’s weak protest. Thea’s mouth dropped open. Grounded? She
Alva’s hands trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks, her voice barely audible. “Why does this always happen to me?” she whispered, clutching her chest as though trying to hold her breaking heart together. Vidar stepped closer, his voice steady yet soothing. “Don’t cry, Alva. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters here is that the jewelry is yours, and you have every right to take it whenever you want.” Her mother, Karina, nodded firmly, moving to stand beside Vidar. “He’s right, Alva. What’s mine is yours. You’re my daughter—feel free to take anything you need, anytime.” Karina’s voice held a protective tone, though her furrowed brows betrayed her inner conflict. Alva glanced at her mother, her lips quivering. “But I didn’t even know the jewelry existed until now.” Before Karina could respond, Nikolai interjected, his jaw tight with anger. “Alva didn’t put that jewelry there. Someone else did this, and I won’t spare them.” Vidar placed a firm hand on Nikolai’s shoulde
Thea's tears fell freely as she sobbed in the middle of the room, her voice trembling. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve only ever wanted the best for this family.....for us. And now, you’re all treating me like I’m an outsider.” She sniffled, glancing around the room with a pitiful expression. “I was only trying to help. Alva is my sister, and I just wanted to make sure she’s on the right path.” Alva softened her gaze. She stepped forward, her voice calm yet firm. “You’re right, Thea. Maybe you’re only doing this because you care.” The room fell silent, everyone staring at Alva as she faced Thea directly. “If you think this is your way of helping me, then I’ll prove to you that I don’t need saving,” Alva said gently. “What would it take for you to believe that I didn’t take the jewelry?” Thea hesitated, her lips twitching as if she was weighing her next words. Finally, she spoke, her voice tinged with resolve. “If we searched your room and didn’t find the jewelry, I’d bel