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Chapter 34

last update Last Updated: 2024-12-08 23:41:26

Eva stepped into the coolness of the bathroom, shutting the door softly behind her. She stood a moment leaning against the sink, staring at her reflection. The water of her shower was so hot, nearly scalding, and yet she could still feel the chill in her bones from the emotional weight she had carried through the day. Everything had gone by now in a blur: of discussions, confrontations, and unspoken fears; the schemes and threats of Samantha and icy indifference of her father; the surprise meeting with Norman-all had at last wearied her and detached her from the world.

Their encounter at the café, especially with Norman, had stuck in her head as some disturbing thought that would never let itself be dissipated. Why had he reached out after everything that had gone down? And why, despite every screaming warning in her gut, was she torn between helping him and keeping herself as far away from him as possible? She didn't know, and that ignorance weighed heavily upon her, adding to the t
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  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    chapter 35

    The drive to her parents mansion was in total silence, with palpable tension between them. Shawn had his fingers clutched at the wheel tightly and his jaws locked in frustration. Every now and then when he looked her way, she was lost in thought gazing out of the window.“Ava." Shawn's voice was low; the irritation he was working hard to restrain filtering in. "If I did something, just tell me. I can't fix it if I don't know what's going on.""I'm not upset with you," Eva whispered back, not looking up at him. "I'm serious,” The car rolled to a stop in front of her parents' mansion. Shawn was quiet for a long, silent moment. Eva wrestled with the door and flipped the latch open."Thanks for dropping me off," she said, hardly above a whisper.Shawn turned a heavy heart-a mix between sadness and confusion-towards Eva. "Call me, and I'll be here if you change your mind," he whispered softly. "But please don't shut me out, not like this.”"I won't," Eva said, even to her ears the sound

    Last Updated : 2024-12-08
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 36

    Eva sat at the counter, staring blankly as her mother bustled about the kitchen. Honestly, nothing seemed the same anymore. She had spent the last few weeks trying to hold it all together, her relationship with Shawn, Samantha's games with the company, and now it was all starting to unravel. The weight of everything, trying to be perfect, being the person everyone expected her to be, was suffocating her."You need to eat," Eleanor said, breaking her from her thoughts. She set a plate in front of Eva-a comforting dish of mashed potatoes, roast chicken, and steamed vegetables, Eva's favorite, the one she used to request whenever she was feeling down.Eva watched the food steaming on the plate, her tummy growling, though somehow she couldn't take the meals. Being comforted by her mother was all good and well, but it did nothing for what was going on inside Eva's chest.“Mom, I don't know how to make things right," Eva said in a barely audible voice. "I just felt like everything has falle

    Last Updated : 2024-12-09
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 37

    Norman threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Relax, I'm just making an observation. You've got that look, you know? The one where a man's trying to figure out if he screwed up or if she's just being difficult.""Get. To. The. Point," Shawn growled, his patience wearing thin.Norman's smirk grew wider as he leaned against the edge of the desk. "Fine. I came to talk about us.”Us?" Shawn echoed, incredulous."Us. You know, the family dynamic. I think we have some unresolved issues we should work out," Norman returned with a healthy amount of sarcasm.Shawn snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "Unresolved issues? The only issue in this room is you, Norman, you've been a pain in my butt since the day you learned how to talk.”Norman laughed; the sound sent a shiver down Shawn's spine. "Always so melodramatic. Look, I know we don't see eye to eye, but I thought maybe we could settle things. Like men."Shawn narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?""One on one," Norman said, his

    Last Updated : 2024-12-09
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 38

    They both sat in silence for a while before Ryan resumed his chaotic packing. Eva stared at him, trying to process his words. “And then what? You’re just going to walk away from everything you’ve built?”"What choice do I have?" he spat, frustration now at its brim. "I lied, Eva. I fudged all that I had. I have no defense, I can't redeem that." She took a step closer with the words, "That isn't true. You make errors, yes, but it doesn't put a stop to your life. There's always a solution. There's always a path forward ”Ryan laughed bitterly, then shook his head. "You sound just like your old man.”Eva tensed, ever conscious of her father, the shadow across both their lives. "What does my dad have to do with this?""You don't think he'll find out soon?" Ryan challenged, raising his voice. "You don't think he'll judge me, like he's always judging everyone else? He might be your dad, but to me, he's my freaking nightmare.Eva’s chest tightened. Their fathers, brothers by blood, couldn’

    Last Updated : 2024-12-10
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 39

    "Hope you’re ready to lose, Shawn," Norman said with a smirk as he spun the basketball between his fingers. The echo of the ball’s bounce reverberated through the empty indoor court. Shawn strode in, his jaw tight, his expression unreadable. His eyes zeroed in on Norman, and for a moment, neither man spoke. The tension between them crackled like a live wire. "I am not here to play such mind games with you, Norman, Shawn said icily, "Let us have done with this." "Ah, that cocky attitude.” Norman taunted, throwing the ball to Shawn. “But it has nothing to do with any of that, this is just because I got to your skin. Admit it." Shawn caught the ball; his grasp firmly clamped on. "You've always gotten under my skin since the day you were born, asshole. Let's do this." Norman burst into a riotous fit of laughter. "Always so serious, no wonder Ava's distant, must be exhausting to live with you since you don't know your way around having fun." Shawn's fists clenched but then he ju

    Last Updated : 2024-12-10
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 40

    Shawn was knuckling down onto the wheel on his way home. His jaws clenched as if in a vice-the rhythmic hum of tires in motion did nothing to stop the storm brewing inside his head. Norman's words replayed over and over in his brain like a broken record, their syllables wrenching the knife deeper into his chest with each ticking second that passed by.‘What really happened in Italy?’‘Ask your wife instead.’Shawn snorted under his breath and shook his head, the action an unconscious attempt to loosen the persistent voice in his skull. “It's Norman,” he tried to reassure himself, “He's just stirring trouble, like always.” But no matter how hard Shawn tried, the seed had been planted, and it began to grow far faster than Shawn was able to control.The memory of Ava telling him about meeting Norman in Italy resurfaced. She was hesitant, claiming she didn't remember because Norman didn't actually leave a mark before saying they just met at a party but didn't relate much. And Shawn had b

    Last Updated : 2024-12-11
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 41

    "Apologize to the board," her father had said over breakfast, his voice not allowing for argument. "That's the only way to appease them and salvage this mess."Eva sat on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair in a slow rhythm as her mind was consumed with doubt. Her father's words played in her head in an endless echo: Forget Samantha. Focus on the company. As if she could forget Samantha, who held her life on a thin thread. As if he had some kind of plan, he wasn't sharing.There came a knock on the door. "Eva? Your mother packed you lunch. Come and get it before you leave," her father yelled through the door."Coming!" Eva set the brush down and stood, smoothing her skirt before heading downstairs.**********She didn't walk into the office until her nervous system was crispy. It seemed as though every corner she turned, she half anticipated Samantha to jump out from and proclaim another ultimatum or covert threat. But morning dragged on, and nothing happened. Nothing at all.She

    Last Updated : 2024-12-11
  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 42

    "Why is his phone switched off?" Eva muttered irritably, since for umpteen times she had tried calling Ryan's number.It played the automated voice message-ice-cold and impersonal. She drew the phone back from her ear and stared hard at the screen as if willing it to change. It didn't. He shut her out.She snatched her purse and keys, turning a blind eye as she did so to her assistant's inquisitive stare. The drive dragged interminably to his apartment while her mind wrestled with feelings of guilt and many questions in dire need of answers. What had she expected after everything that happened? He had all the reasons in this world to walk away.She finally arrived at his building in near deafening silence. She rapped on his door, and it reverberated down the hall."Ryan, it's me! Open up!"Nothing.This time, heavier knocks could be heard, with an elevated voice. "Ryan, please! I just want to talk!"Still nothing.She set her ear to the door, praying at least for the faintest sound of

    Last Updated : 2024-12-12

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  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 175

    The Wadsley’s mansion was filled with tension. Shawn entered the room, his piercing eyes surveying those already seated in front of him at the table in a row down the long mahogany. His father, Henry Darlington sat opposite Richard Wadsley, who presided at the head of the table, tapping fingers on the wood in a deliberate rhythm, face with an impassive mask, and Ryan Wadsley leaned back in his chair, arms folded, and nodded to greet shawn.“I'm sorry for keeping you all waiting.” he bowed before settling down and didn’t waste any seconds before speaking. "We don’t have much time." His voice cut through the stifling silence. "Uncle Victor and Norman have been one step ahead of us for so long. That ends now."Henry's expression was resolute. "We already know all their plans. With Edward's recording, we've got Victor's confession. But that will never be enough. We need more evidence to expose them publicly in front of your grandfather.”Richard's teeth were firmly gritted. "My name and

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 174

    Darlington's mansion loomed over him as Shawn grasped the steering wheel with hands tightly clenched, his mind thinking a mile a minute per second. He never imagined that he would find himself here today, but with everything that had just transpired in seconds ago, he had more pressing things to attend to. All he had to do was learn.The instant he drove into the driveway, he cut off the motor and stepped out, teeth gritted in a granite smile. Air was nearly as cold as ice as he strode up to the front door.A servant flung the door wide open for him before he would have gotten there on his own two pounding feet. "Welcome home, Mr. Darlington." The maid greeted with a smile on her face.Shawn tried to greet back with a smile, but he wasn’t in the mood and he couldn’t fake it."Where's my father?" he asked immediately.Her expression changed at his cold demeanour. She could instantly tell that he was in a bad mood."Your father is in his study," She said.Shawn remained silent. He st

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 173

    The ride home was silent as Ryan drove Ava home in her carAva's knuckles were whitening as her fist clenched on her laps. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat as she thought about what she was going to face when she got home.Ryan gripped tightly on the steering wheel, jaws clenched in a hard line. He was furious and seething, but beneath the anger was something else. He was supposed to be angry and yelling at her, but all he felt was pity for her.She could feel it also, she hated being treated like that- being vulnerable and pitied but that was the only thing she could hold on to now."Are you ready?" Ryan finally said, rolling up in front of the Wadsley house. The house loomed above, the lights flickered through the windows but not stopping the storm raging in Ava's brain.Her head was spinning, she let out in a soft tone "No." She shivered, her voice quivering. "But do I have a choice?”Ryan sighed and relaxed back into his seat. "You always have a choice in every decision,

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 172

    There was heavy tension in the room, as Shawn's burning gaze was focused on Ava. His eyes sucked the air out of her lungs, and she stood stil with a wide eye, trembling in fear with her fist clenched on both sides."What the bloody hell are you doing here with Norman?" Shawn's tone sliced the air like a sharp blade.Ava flinched at his voice, and she stepped back, still trembling. "I—I can explain," she whispered.Shawn's face went cold. "You better have a good explanation for this."Ava's knees wobbled under her. She didn't know how much he heard or where to start her explanation from. "I didn't mean to do any of it, Shawn." she moved closer to him with tears in her eyes, hoping it would make him pity her. "I was used and manipulated by them. I swear– I would never betray you on purpose. Please believe me.”“Used and manipulated?" Shawn let out a bitter chuckle."That's your excuse?"Ava's heart crushed. He didn’t believe her. "I was scared! I was trapped and didn't know what to do.

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 171

    Ava wiped her tears and shot a glare at samantha. “You knew about this too?”"Oh, come on, Ava," Samantha teased. "Don't be stupid now. We were business partners. I had no idea about your secret one night stand. I became partners with Norman after your father threatened to ruin my career, because he wanted to protect his beloved family reputation.”Ava went pale and her head spun. She thought samantha really cared about her when she advised her and helped her to get shawn back, but she had came to her with ulterior motives, and Norman was behind her all along. "You joined hands with Norman to hurt me. I've done nothing to deserve this from you, Sam.” She said with tears pouring down her eyes.Norman stepped closer, with a firm expression. “Don't play the victim here, Ava. You did everything you did for yourself. It was for your own selfish needs.”Ava wiped her tears and shot him a death glare "What are you saying?""Don't play dumb with us," Samantha cut in, "Yes, it was part of my

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 170

    It was already dark when Ava stepped out of her car. The secluded building stood at the outskirts of the area and she had to walk there. Her grip tightened on the big bag she was holding as she got to the door. She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder one more time before twisting the door handle. The creak of the open door pushed the bitter scent of scorched cement and motor oil back into her nostrils. Samatha leaned her shoulders against a pile of crates, crossed arms, pursed lips curled into a crazed smile as she saw her. Norman Darlington, however, was sitting in a comfortably broken-in leather armchair in the far corner, whiskey sloshing back and forth between his fingers. A whirlwind of excitement churned in his head as Ava walked toward him.She did not even bat an eyelid. She raised the bag she was holding and slammed it on the table in front of Norman. "There," she spat. "There's the money you both asked for. Now stop this madness before my dad's company goes ban

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 169

    Henry Darlington was on his phone in his home office when he received a message from one of his clients, Edward Langstone. It was a voice message, and he wondered what was in it. He stopped what he was doing and played the message. There were murmurs of far-off voices, glass clinking, and soft music playing a party, then a familiar voice came in. "Richard Wadsley and Henry Darlington thought they were unstoppable and everyone else, or at least wished they were. They were just emotional fools. I sabotaged their business deal to ruin it in their faces, and they did not even know it was a sabotage. After all those years of friendship and partnership, it was so easy to break them apart. Without the support of each other, they are as good as weak, but my main target was Henry, I only wanted to remove Richard from the picture. “Wow, that's brilliant.” Another voice came in. “So how's the result going?” He chuckled. “Trust me, it's going great. Darlington Enterprises hanging by his fing

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 168

    Ryan forced through the doors of Shawn's office without bothering to knock. His jaw was set in a line of urgency, his head a whirlwind of possibilities. The dim light inside the office cast shadows on Shawn's face, who sat behind his desk with his expression filled with controlled fury. The door slammed into the wall but shattered no portion of his stubborn fury. His fingers drummed slowly and deliberate over the fine polished wood. Ryan's pale blue eyes sparkled. "You said something about an emergency," he said, entering and closing the door. "What is it?” His voice was a little coarse and impatient Shawn exhaled, the weight of it coming down hard as it laid on his chest. He did not even look at Ryan, but instead allowed his eye to track the line of the desk in an attempt to put some sort of control on the anger in him. His tightened on the edge of the desk, and his knuckles whitened."Ava knows something.” Ryan's eyebrows sprang. "Knows something about what?"Shawn's head jerked

  • Entangled in the TWINS' WEB.    Chapter 167

    Ava shoved Shawn's brown front door wide open and took a deep breath, waiting there as the door creaked shut behind her. The day's activities hung heavy on her shoulders like a damp cape. And she couldn't wait to relax and have a good night's sleep. She walked in expecting to see Madam Tess all over the kitchen, but the house was quiet. It was at this time tonight that Madam Tess would be cleaning the kitchen and also preparing Shawn's study for his arrival from work. Her hand rested on the chill of the console table as she placed her handbag down. The reflex wasn't comforting. A cold, shivery scuttering feeling crawled down her spine as though someone was standing behind her, watching her.And she saw him.Shawn was at the bottom of the stairs, lit by the faint light of the hallway chandelier. One hand was in his sweatpants pocket, the other clumsily holding a tumbler of amber liquor. His eyes, which met hers, were dark and impenetrable.Ava's heart skipped a beat.She swallowed.

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