"Eva," Ryan's voice came tight with worry over the phone. "What happened? Why didn't you say anything. Was someone there with you?” “Ryan, I'm sorry, my dad answered the call. I was caught off guard, and I couldn't do anything.”“Shit.” There was silence for a while before Ryan spoke again. “So he knows everything now?” Eva leaned back in her chair, placing fingers to her temple as if the pressure might beat the headache brewing inside. "No, he doesn't know everything," she returned wearily. "But it was close. Too close."Ryan exhaled sharply. "What did he find out?”She hedged, the glance of her father flashing before her eyes, the weight of the words: "Enough to know you've been avoiding everybody but me. He's furious, Ryan. He demanded answers, and since I couldn't give any, he stormed out. I don't think he'll let this go."A thick silence hung in the air after she spoke, right until Ryan finally broke the silence. "Thanks for not saying anything about my job or scholarship. I k
"I'm waiting." shawn tilted his head to the side; his eyes never left Eva's as they sat amidst the dimness of the restaurant. "So, are you going to tell me why you just apologized to Ryan before you said anything to me?”Eva hesitated, her fork hovering over her plate. She felt the weight of his question pressing on her, the unspoken expectation in his tone. Finally, she set the fork down and clasped her hands together. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone,” she said softly, her eyes fixed on the table.Shawn leaned back in his chair, his expression curious but patient. “But you’re telling me now. Because there's no way I'm letting this go.” “I think I need to,” Eva admitted, her voice trembling. “I’ve been carrying this by myself, and it’s too much.”He reached across the table, his hand resting over hers. “Then let it out, babe. Tell me what's making you this burdened.”Eva took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to say. “It’s about Ryan.”Shawn’s brow furrowed sli
"Well, only Eva and I knew of it," Eva said in an extremely low tone. Eva finally looked away from Shawn and started giving her napkin in her hands quite a lot of attention-folding, unfolding, folding again, and again-the repetitions not doing much to help calm her nerves."I have no idea how the school and workplace found out."Shawn hunched over, arms over the edge of the table as his piercing glare seemed incredulous, searching. "You are trying to tell me there's nobody else who would have known? Nobody whatsoever?"Eva shook her head vigorous, her fingers in a tight clench upon the napkin. "Nobody. Ryan was really careful, and so were we, and there is just no way.”“Then someone must have found out somehow," Shawn said, unbending. “Did you or your sister tell anyone about it, maybe a close friend in school by mistake. Or maybe Ryan himself told a friend who did this to ruin him on purpose.” “I don't know, Shawn. We all vowed not to say anything about it. So I don't know if any of
"You are not going alone," Shawn said firmly, crossing arms over his chest, his voice that unyielding that always unnerved Eva.Eva exhaled sharply and started pacing the living room, trying to find her words. "Shawn, listen to me. This is a Wadsley family dinner, and trust me, you don't want to be there."“Whatever kind of dinner it is, Ava, you've already made it sound like a battlefield; I'm not going to let you go into that lion's den alone." Shawn shot back, annoyance starting to lace his voice."It isn't your fight," Eva replied as she faced him, her tone soft, but it was the imploring in her eyes that proved traitor. "It's my family, Shawn. Whatever goes on, I can handle.”Shawn snorted, his head shaking. "You're not convincing anyone with that. Your hands were shaking just from the phone call of your father last night . You expect me to believe you are going to be okay? ''Eva had stiffened, the knuckles on her hands going white as she clutched the back of a chair. "It doesn'
"And you, Ava. How long have you been lying to me?" Richard's voice cut through the weighted silence like a knife. An icy, probing gaze was fixed on Eva.The napkin on her lap fluttered in Eva's fidgeting hands. Her heart thundered in her chest. "I didn't lie to you, Father. I just-”"Don't insult my intelligence," Richard cut in, sharp; his anger finally set free. "You knew Ryan was hiding something and covered it up, then you lied to me and this whole family a number of times!""I wasn't covering for him," Eva returned, shaking but firm. "Ryan begged me not to say anything. He wanted to fix it on his own before anyone found out-”"And look where that got him!" Richard brought his hand down on the table hard enough to rattle a number of glasses. "Do you even realize what you have done? Your silence colluded with his to drag the name of this family into the mud!""Enough!" Daniel leapt to his feet, beet-red from anger and desperation. "If anyone is to be blamed, blame me! He's my son,
“Enough for tonight, Richard snapped. Like a whip, his voice sailed across the room, "Dinner is over. Everybody, out."The only silence was held breaths and repressed emotions, the scrape of chair legs on polished floor getting underway in slow motion as family members most reluctantly began getting their belongings. Eva felt frozen in place, though-as her mind was still racing to the words still echoing in her head from the mouth of her father.Ryan's, a petite woman with gentle features and brimming teardrops, stepped forward; desperation oozed from her tone and demeanor. "Richard, please," she began shaking. "Give Ryan a chance to redeem himself. He is still young and he made a terrible mistake, but it can still be fixed.”Richard stood tall, hard at the head of the table-crossing his arms at his chest, cold as granite. "If he really wanted to redeem himself, he would not have cut ties from this family to begin with. Actions have consequences; he's made his choice.” “He's scared,
"What was going through your mind, Shawn?" Henry Darlington's sharp voice cut through the silence of his office, laced with rebuke. "Wadsley family dinner? Interrupting him at his dinner table? Confronting your father-in-law in his own home? Have you finally lost your senses?"Shawn sat ramrod straight in the chair opposite his father, his jaw clenched. "I didn't mean any disrespect," he said, measured but firm in tone. "I was sticking up for Ava. She was clearly uncomfortable, and wasn't about to ignore and do nothing.Henry slitted his eyes and the hands which had been clamped on the desk in front of him fell into a dead grasp. "That wasn't your call to make Shawn-you didn't have that right to intervene and Richard Wadsley was angry -but then, not only at you-but also at Ava too. He expressed this morning how he is appalled at your behavior.”Shawn scrunched his face up in a frown. "Mad at Ava? Why? She hasn't done anything-”“He's mad 'cause your actions reflect on her," Henry cut
"Will you just stand there looking stupid all day, Norman?" The voice of Victor Darlington came heavy across the room, cold as steel, as he leaned against a big oak desk, arms across his chest, his eyes boring into his son.Norman winced but did not lose his composure; he leaned backward slightly in the chair. "Father, I have been working on it," he started, really on the defense."Working on it?" Victor snorted, pushing off the desk and pacing. "For months you have been saying you had a plan, and yet what results am I seeing? None. Henry and Shawn still are thriving out there while you fumble about like some amateur."Norman's eyes hardened, and his jaw set. "I almost succeeded, you know," he said with a low, even modulated tone.Victor ceased pacing, his eyes narrowing. "Almost succeeded? You think 'almost' matters in this game, boy? What exactly did you 'almost' do?"Norman fidgeted under Victor's sharp glance, his fingers digging deep into the leather rest of the armchair. "I pass
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
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
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,
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.
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
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
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
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
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.