The rest of the week was just work and quiet evenings at home, one into another. Eva found herself surprisingly eager for the family dinner; the opportunity would prove to herself as much as to Shawn that she fitted in with his world.********“Am I supposed to cool my heels here all night?" Shawn called from his perch at the bottom of the stairs, his pacing legs seeming to edge towards impatience."I'll be down in five minutes!" Eva yelled back from somewhere upstairs muffled, yet urgently.Shawn smiled while he quirked his wrist in time with his moves. "You said that fifteen minutes ago”"I mean it this time," she called back exasperated.Shawn shook his head, mumbling to himself. "Women and their obsession with fashionably being late." He ceased his pacing and leaned casually against the staircase railing, crossing his arms. "You know my dad is expecting us to be on time, and you know how he gets when we're late.""Shawn!" Eva's voice was louder now, playful annoyance laced in ever
The grand entrance of the Darlington mansion, beamed under the glow of the evening light, as a sight into which the Wadsleys were to arrive. Mr. and Mrs. Wadsley stepped from their car, crunching small under the gravel that was nearly imperceptible against the serenade of cicadas."This place is as magnificent as ever," Eleanor exclaimed, eyes roving over stately pillars and landscaped finery.“Darlington always did have a flair for the dramatic luxury," Richard groused ,no doubt reluctantly appreciative of his old friend.A butler opened the door for them, gesturing inside with a low bow. Mrs. Darlington was resplendent in her silk gown as she welcomed them into the foyer, soft smile spreading on her face."Eleanor! Richard! So good to see you both," and she moved to them to hug them both."Diane, you are looking fabulous," Mrs. Wadsley replied as they exchanged hugs. "And still smell great as always."Mr. Darlington appeared from the dining room, a glass of scotch clutched in his ha
Shawn sat fidgeting his leg idly in the waiting room, staring down between his feet at the white tile floor. Antiseptic-sterilized air filled his nostrils, but he barely noticed. There were just so many nurses hustling to and fro down the corridors; several of them went toward Ava's room, every time one passed he started up hopeful they'd stop to update him on her status. But none of them did. He ran a hand through his hair, fists clenched. “Oh God, please, let her be okay," he muttered hoarsely to himself. The silence following it was deafening apart from the hum of machinery that whirred at a distance somewhere in the hospital.“What if it's worse than I think? What if…no, no, no, I just can't even think that.” Shawn shook his head, futilely chasing away dark thoughts crawling inside his skull as he leaned further ahead, placing elbows on knees and launching off another muttered prayer in utter desperation.Running footsteps made him turn toward the door as his parents burst in wit
"What do we do now?" Richard bawled as a knife through the expectant heavy silence that lay between them in choked tones.Shawn's fists were clenched, the knuckles white against his pale skin. His eyes did not leave the ground, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. His heart was pounding in his chest, weighed down by the weight of the situation. How had he missed it? How had he not known that Ava was carrying his child?His mother leaned into him now, her voice barely audible. "Shawn, I need you to listen to me. You must be strong now.""Strong?" Shawn's voice croaked, barely audible from his hoarse throat. "How can I? I-I should have known. I should have been more vigilant.” "You can't blame yourself for this," Diane whispered. "Now, we should be more worried about Ava. She'll be at more risk if she learns this truth, which she isn't prepared for.” Eleanor's face contorted with painful irony, clenching her hands together into which short gasps of breath came for the silent tears streamin
Early morning light filtered in softly through the blinds into the sterile hospital room. Eva slowly opened her eyes, and her sight finally cleared up, focusing on the brightness that had enveloped her. At last, her blurred vision clears and presents Shawn, seated at her bedside, staring with eyes heavy with sleep and burdened by an exhaustion inside him: deep concern lines were deeply trenched in his face."Good morning, sleepyhead," Shawn whispered softly, his voice almost too gentle, as he brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead.Eva shifted a little, trying to sit up. Her body felt heavier than usual. "What happened? Why am I here?" she tried to utter through her hoarse throat."You fainted, sweetheart," Diane's voice came from beside him, laced with concern. She stood at the foot of the bed, her arms across her chest, tight with worry. "The doctor said you've been overworking yourself. He instructed you to rest for a week."Eva furrowed her brow and tried to make sense of
“Seriously, Ava.” Shawn laughed. “Do you think I'll be this calm and still be in my right mind, if you were dying ? Shawn asked, flashing a quick grin as he leaned back into the chair. It came out light, and teasing, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.Eva frowned. "You don't sound so calm to me," she crossed her arms, surveying him closely. "You've been hovering over me just like I'd break at any moment.“That's because you scared the hell out of me," Shawn repeated this time a little firmer. "You fainted, Ava. You rolled down an entire flight of stairs. Forgive me for being a little protective."Eva exhaled deeply, sinking into the couch. "I'm not made of glass, Shawn. You're all acting like I can't do anything on my own anymore. It's suffocating me.”Shawn puffed hard from pursed lips, his jaw working. "We're just trying to make sure you're alright.""I am all right," Eva said, on a puff of air, pushing herself off from the couch. "And I'm going to prove it to you."Sh
Shawn's fingers firmed over his phone as his father's firm voice resounded through it."Shawn, the partnership presentation with Edward Langston is all that matters now," Henry Darlington said with no single streak of leniency. "You should nail the details and get the team ready. This deal isn't big for you; it's gigantic for the company.""I know, Dad," Shawn replied, pacing up and down in his room. "I have already prepared a draft presentation. I'll discuss it with the team first thing in the morning.""Good," Henry said, "Remember, Victor will stop at nothing to steal this deal from us. You can't afford even the slightest slip-ups."His expression changed; the moment his uncle's name cropped up, his face hardened. Victor Darlington had always seemed to him that one thorn in his way of success, somebody always staying one step ahead by pushing other people down and by guile. "Don't worry, I can handle it.""You better," Henry snapped. "I'm counting on you, Shawn."The screen was bla
Shawn leaned against his desk, running a hand through his hair, frustration etched on his face. "This doesn’t make any sense," he muttered under his breath.Dean stepped into the office, carrying a stack of reports. "Are you okay, boss? You look like you’ve seen a ghost" Dean said, placing the files on the desk.Shawn’s eyes snapped up. "Dean, has anyone been in my office since yesterday? Think carefully."Dean frowned, his arms across his chest. "Nobody. The cleaning crew doesn't go into locked offices and I was here late tonight finishing reports. Your office was locked tight when I left.""Then can you explain how the plan presentation got missing," Shawn snapped, slamming a drawer closed.Dean's eyes opened wide. "Missing? You don't think it might be just hidden inside another file.”"I didn't lose it," Shawn growled. "I locked it in my desk drawer. It's gone, Dean. Somebody's taken it."Dean furrowed his brow at the thought of such a possibility. "Perhaps it was taken by one of t
“Lets see what you are up to, Ava.” Ryan said under his breath, hands on the steering wheel as his eyes dart merrily between the rearview mirror and the restaurant across the road. The engine of his car idled gently, its low hum hardly noticeable over the thrashing in his chest. Almost an hour had passed since he had been sitting there, his head turned on Ava, who was inside the café stirring her unattended coffee. His phone buzzed on the passenger seat, and he grabbed it quickly. It was a message from Shawn. Shawn: "Keep your eyes on her; we must figure out where she's taking that money to.”Ryan exhaled, his jaw tightened. He thought relentlessly, typing back a brief response. Ryan: "I'm still watching. She hasn't made a move yet." He set the phone down and tapped his fingers nervously on the top of the steering wheel. Two half-million-dollar withdrawals, and she's merely sipping coffee? It didn't seem right. There's something up.Ava rose from the chair moments later, her chai
Shawn's voice was quiet but fraught with stress as he slumped on the mahogany desk, his jaw clenched with each word;"Are you quite certain about this, Ryan? ".His fingers drummed on the polished surface of the table, a perturbed beat that exposed his anxiety as he sat across from him. “I wouldn't have not come to you if I wasn't. Ava is hiding something, I've been investigating and watching her myself.” Shawn's eyebrows furrowed tightly. The poorly lit study gave them privacy, its thick drapes shutting out the rest of the world, but it did little to relax the weight bearing on Shawn. “You're claiming she poisoned Eva, Ryan. I still can't believe Ava would do that. Even Eva doesn't believe it. Because Ava has no reason to do that.” Ryan let out a nasty sigh, anger rippling across him. "I know you both are finding it hard to believe, but according to Eva's testimony, she is our only suspect.Ryan narrowed his eyes at Shawn, who looked disturbed. “Eva told me she overheard Ava's conve
Ava murmured over the phone, voice chilly and indifferent, "I can't come today either."Shawn's exasperated voice came over the speaker to say, "Ava, what's going on? You keep giving excuses not to come home. Talk to me if something is bothering you.”"Shawn, I'm not giving excuses. I have a lot of work to do and my parents' place is the closest, because I've been working late these days. Please try to understand. " Ava hung up without waiting for his response and flung her phone onto her disorganized desk. The setting sun had long gone down, so Wadsleys Jewels were gently aglow from the office lights. Scattered about Ava's desk were financial records and client files, but none of them really had her attention. She was off, trapped in a hurricane of anxiety and stress. Trying to relieve the increasing headache, she rubbed her temples. She didn't bother to check when her phone buzzed again. She already knew it was Shawn.Eva and her mother had also been trying to talk to her, but th
Richard Wadsley paced the living room, with his fist clenched and, his voice booming throughout the mansion, "Why isn't there any damn answer yet? " Flush with anger, he glared at the detective who stood uncomfortably.“Mr Wadsley, the CCTV from Wadsleys Jewels was damaged. Both the cameras inside Eva's office and leading to it were turned off. Someone obviously understood what they were doing. " The detective explained.Richard sneered, his jaws clamped tight. “Someone tried to murder my daughter, and we don't have even one hint? " The detective’s eyes went down. “We are trying to look for alternative methods to get the culprit. maybe…” "Get out! " Richard snapped.“Mr Wadsley?’’ The detective was caught off guard.Richard Wadsley glared at him and growled. “I dont want to see you, if you dont have anything tangible. Please leave.” The man gave a curt nod, and said. “We’ll do our best sir.” Before turning to leave. Eva was lying on the couch, with hetr hands resting on her stom
"Miss Wadsley, you must tell us everything you remember. It will be very useful for the investigation.” Detective Harris' voice cut through the heavy tension of the hospital room. Eva moved a little on the hospital bed, and the sterile sheet felt rigid and itchy against her skin. Eleanor Wadsley, her mother, sat on the edge of Evas bed with Eva hand clenched in hers like a lifeline. Richard Wadsley paced like an anguished lion across the room, anger seeping from every powerful stomp crashing across the ceramic floor. Shawn was standing stiffly in the corner beside Ryan, with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes fixed on Eva's pallid face, his jaw was clenched, and the muscles twitched gently. Every moment of her silence only appeared to drive the cyclone building beyond his chilling eyes. Ryan squirmed next to him, rubbing his neck back and forth; his irritation practically evident throughout the questioning. "Miss Wadsley," Detective Harris said with a firm but gentle
Apart from the faint beep of the heart monitor, the hospital room was eerily quiet. Sitting in the chair next Eva's bed, Shawn watched her weak body resting against the white hospital sheets his fingers interlocked. Though the steady rise and fall of her chest comforted him, it did not lighten the suffocating weight of emotions he felt. He had been sitting there for hours, waiting for her to wake up, waiting for a solution. The doctor had told him that she'll regain consciousness soon. Eleanor had left a few moments ago telling him that she had to make food for Eva when she woke up. She thanked him for staying beside her. He was lost in the memories of the past they shared together, the betrayal, lies and the pain of their divorce. The news of her pregnancy was the shock of it all. Resting his elbows on his knees, he sighed deeply and his fingers twitched. Since Ryan laid everything out, his head has been spinning with questions. ‘Why didn't she tell me?’He ought to have realized
Ava's eyes were filled with fury as she walked completely into the apartment; she still couldn't believe what was before her eyes. Startled by the unexpected interruption, Samantha jumped from the sofa. It was irritation rather than fear that swished over her face; she knew Ava would come screaming at her door, sooner or later. Ava took a deep breath. “What is Norman Darlington doing here?” Her eyes returned to Samantha, mock screaming on her like a tidal wave. "Sam, I asked what is going on here?” Crossing her legs and sitting back against the couch, Samantha smirked. "I was wondering how long it would take you to solve it.” She said smoothly.Ava clenches her fists. "You have been working together?” Samantha breathed out deeply, head tilted. “Why else would he be here? Quit asking obvious questions Ava, you look stupid.” A wave of sickness swept Ava. She trusted Samantha. They've been best friends since middle school. Samantha made her believe she was helping her and was the o
Shawn drove behind his parent's car as they drove into the parking space of their mansion. He knew his father was trying to keep his cool and not cause a scene in front of the Wadsleys when they almost lost their daughter. His father went in without waiting for him. Shawn took a deep breath before walking in to face his father. “Shawn, what in the world is happening? What was all that?” Henry Darlington asked with barely contained anger. Shawn tried to speak and calm his father down, but unfortunately, he had no words. He understood what his father felt, but he also felt the same way and didn't understand the mess he just got into. His thoughts replayed the doctor's words and Ryan's words. ‘Eva was truly pregnant, and it was his.And now his father is paranoid and angry about the fact that both twins are pregnant with his child. Shawn shrugged wearily. How exactly was he supposed to deal with this? He thought finding Eva unconscious in her office was worse until the doctor co
With clenched fists, Shawn strolled the space by the window. He wasn't saying much, he just wanted Eva to regain consciousness. She still has a lot to answer for, but the memories of how he found her almost lifeless on the floor made his heart sink. Ava went to sit and was stiff in the chair, hands shaking and rolled into fists in her lap. Ryan stood with his back against the wall, his mask like face dull, but the jaw clenched spoke volumes. Richard Wadsley and Eleanor Wadsley were seated together, their distorted heads twisted with horror and fury. Daine Darlington and Henry Darlington sat quietly, their red eyes flicking every which way. Eleanor shot from the chair, her voice quivering on the razor's ranks, "Doctor, what's the update now. How's my daughter?” Richard's deep voice asked, "Is she awake?" The doctor scanned the room. "Are you all the patient's family?” Shawn glared. "Why does any of this matter? Tell us what happened to her.” The doctor stopped and then gave a no