"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
"Ava, open up! It's urgent!" The banging at the door sent Eva jumping. She placed the cup of coffee in her hand on the table, which rattled slightly. It was such a laid-back morning; she hadn't expected this intrusion. A glance was cast at Shawn, who was sipping from his coffee mug. "Who could that be at this time?" she said, raising an eyebrow. Shawn shrugged and set his cup on the table. "Your guess is as good as mine." He readjusted his watch and strode forward to the door a few feet away. "Let's find out." The door creaked open and, before Shawn could utter greetings to whomever it was on the other side, there was already someone brushing past him into the house. It was Mrs. Wadsley, Ryan's mother, her face was pale and her hands were shaking as she held her purse close against her. “Ava," she said, shaking. "I have to talk to you. It's about Ryan. Eva's stomach quivered. Every time that tone of voice was used, mentioning Ryan, trouble wasn't far behind. Eva gave a glance at
“How are you doing, cousin. you are looking refreshed. gotta say, you must be really enjoying your success, which you obviously got because of Richard Wadsley.” That voice, so sudden, jerked Shawn from the desk. Standing in the doorway was Norman, hands casually tucked into his pockets, smirking as irritating as ever.Shawn leaned back in his chair while his sharp gaze narrowed. "What are you doing here, Norman? If you're looking for a handout or a pity party, you're wasting your time."Norman sneered, further strutting into the room, obviously used to getting his own way. "Oh, come on, be cool, cousin, and do not be cold with me. I was in the vicinity, so I decided just to pop up and congratulate you. Quite a catch for a bloke, just hanging tight onto Richard's coattails."Shawn clucked a muffled jaw behind his mask of coolness: "You know, if you have come here to point accusatory fingers in all directions, don't bother. The making-fool-of-yourself category, you reached your limit
"Great work, guys. Let's try and get those last sketches complete by Friday," Eva ordered sharply, professional sounding, though she had already been defeated by the mental exhaustion nipping at her heels as she stood at the head of the conference table, beaming a small smile back at her design team."Yes, ma'am," a bright chorus as one of the more junior designers was already gathering his papers.Eva nodded to follow the sound of shuffling feet from the room in the faint glow of progress. The moment the door clicked shut, her smile dissipated. She leaned her hands onto the table, her fingers tight on its edges as she exhaled.The ringing on her phone, vibrating on the table, was easily ignored; really, she did not want new messages or notifications to deal with. All her life was a balance and days a tightrope walk for her-there were days when all was fine, till days like today came, and this balance seemed undone.She squared her shoulders, snatched her notebook, and left the confer
"Why don't you think for once in your life, Ava?!" The voice boomed loud enough inside that Eva actually paused mid-porch, her heart sprinting through her chest.She clutched the handle of the front door a little tighter, steeling herself as she went in. The living room was indeed an eruptive cauldron of emotions-just as she had guessed it would be. Her father, Richard Wadsley, stood facing her with his arms across his chest, his red face a sure sign of anger. Across from him stood Ava, her raised chin defying anybody to make her back down.“You have the guts to come back after everything!” Richard shouted as his finger traced an accusing arrow in the air at Ava. "Doesn't your conscience ever kick in about all that you've done? Leaving behind a mess everywhere, mass within the family-for your sister?”Ava was cool enough, while speaking, to mask the flashes of rage in her eyes. "I've not come to debate, to score any arguments," she said; "I'm here to fix things.”“Fix things?! "Richar
"What do i do now? She's going to ruin everything" Eva said after having slightly trembled; she stood in her parents living room, staring at the door her twin sister just walked out from. Everyone was quiet, still processing Ava's words and what just happened. Richard broke the silence, his face chiseled into an angry mask. "She tries one stupid thing, she will have to face my wrath. I don't care that she's my daughter.""Richard, stop it," Eleanor said sharply, for a second her usually calm mask cracked enough to show her frustration. "This isn't helping.”Eva turned to face her parents, her voice shaking as she said, “You don’t understand, Dad. She won't back down. She said she wants her life back, everything. That means the company, the social status… that means it will be over between me and Shawn.”“No, it won't.” Richard snapped. “You think I’d let her just walk in here and take everything and ruin everything we built? Over my dead body.”“Richard!" Eleanor flashed him an acid
“You just don't spring a month-long vacation request on me out of the blue, Ava.” Shawn actually laughed, and there was almost a disbelief in that tone, perhaps near dismissal. He leaned closer towards her and pulled her closer to him by her waist, assuming an expression stern from practicality against indulgence. "You do realize what goes on at the office, if I disappear for a whole month, its going to be utter chaos.”Eva's lips arced into a smile, but it was glass brittle. "You're right, it was silly. I just wasn't thinking." She tried to sound light, but the tension in her chest betrayed her.Shawn paused mid-laugh, his eyes narrowing. "You're not usually like that. What's going on?”“Nothing,” Eva replied too quickly, her hand instinctively brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I guess I’ve just been feeling. restless. That’s all.”Shawn’s brow furrowed as he reached across the table, taking her hand gently in his. “Eva, if something’s bothering you, tell me.”The warmth of
"Ready for another tiring day, Mrs. Darlington?" Shawn teased, opening the car door for Eva, a wide grin on his face.Eva forced a small, weak smile and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Do i have a choice.” She replied in a tired tone.She stepped out of the car, holding her purse close to her side. The air was cool that morning, though the weight inside her chest had her feeling constricted. About to return to Shawn's cheerful banter, she suddenly froze.Ava leaned against her car casually, that bright smile of hers blazing like a spotlight toward them as she stood in the parking lot."Good morning!" Ava called cheerfully, her voice as sweet as sugar as she sauntered toward them.Eva's heart quickened as she found herself clutching at her purse. ‘What is she doing here?’"Eva!" Shawn exclaimed, still blind to any of the tension between the women."Good morning. Good to see you.”"Good morning, Shawn," Ava said with her eyes dancing momentarily onto Eva. "And good morning t
Just as Shawn and Eva sat in the living room, chatting over their evening tea, the doorbell jingled. Their attention went to the main entrance as the sound came up. Madam Tess, ambled toward answering the door grumbling discontentedly with the uninvited guest. Eva's heart leaped high-she had been uptight all day, waiting for Ava's next move. She tightened her grip on the teacup while her stomach churned. “Who could this be at this hour? Are you expecting someone?”"Relax," Shawn said, chuckling at her rigid pose. "It's probably a deliveryman; someone must have sent something.” Then they heard the door open and Madam Tess's voice full of surprise: "Oh! Miss Eva, what a lovely surprise."Eva's blood froze. She put down her tea on the table, trembling; that rattling sound very loud against the stillness of the room. ‘What's she doing here?’Shawn's head jolted, a brilliant smile lighting up his face. "Eva? Really?"No sooner were the words off his lips than Ava appeared in the doorway
"Ma'am, are you all right? You've been staring at that screen for ten minutes now," Amelia, one of her employees who brought a report to her office, ventured to ask warmly.Blinking a few times, Eva forced a bright smile onto her face as she quickly minimized the open blank document on her computer that she had seemed to be working on. "I'm fine," she said, but her tone wasn’t convincing. And dismissed her.She was not okay. The storm brewing in her mind for the last couple of days crashed on her ceaselessly. Every time she met Shawn's gaze, her gut roiled with overwhelming guilt and hurt seriously gnawing at her insides. He had slept with her sister, cheated on her without realising, and she couldn't do anything.Her hands had formed into fists under the desk. “It wasn't his fault,” she reminded herself for what must have been the hundredth time. “He didn't know. He couldn't have known.”But that didn't make it one whit easier to bear.Eva thought of the weekend: Shawn had seemed ful
"They think they can control me" Ava growled low in her throat, pacing the small hotel room. Her heels clicked against the floor, her anger simmering, threatening to boil over at any moment. She came to a stop, hands clenching on the edge of the desk in front of her. Her reflection stared back at her from the mirror over it, green eyes wild with frustration and hurt.And in Ava's head, those words re-echoed in her mind in an endless feedback-the words deeply engraving in her mind one word after another."You're a disappointment. You dragged the family name in the mud. You've done enough damage.”She snorted, her voice thick with resentful arguments so bitter. "I've done enough damage? Really?" Ava shook her head, the laugh that finally came out seemingly cutting her throat. "Eva stole everything from me, and I am the one that's done enough damage?It was injustice, seared in fire, and she found no room for reason. She hunched backward into her chair, shaking, her hands covering her fa
Eva slumped onto the couch in the living room. Immediately, she was convulsed by unchained sobs as her composure snapped into a thousand pieces. Hiding her face between shaking hands, that tidal wave of reality engulfed her-cold-blooded betrayal by a sister."I just can't believe it," Eva whispered, her voice breaking at last. "She's going to ruin everything… everything I worked hard to build. She'll destroy my life.”Eleanor fell on her knees beside her daughter and laid a reassuring hand on her knee. "Eva, sweetheart, don't cry; we'll work this out.”"Sort this out?" Eva's head jerked up, her tear-streaked face contorted in a grimace of anguish. "How, Mother? Ava's hell-bent on taking Shawn from me. You think she'll stop after what she just pulled? She won't!"Richard was pacing furiously beside the fireplace, hands clasped tightly behind his back. "That girl… she's gone too far this time. I should have never let her come back into this house after what she pulled.”"Richard!" Elea
Ava drove up the driveway in Eva's sleek car up to the mansion looming ahead-the Wadsley mansion. Her fingers around the steering wheel tightened with each second passing while her heart was pounding, yet not a ripple crossed her face. She didn't want to show them that she was scared. Inside, Eva stood at her window in her silk robe and watched the car pull in. There she saw her twin sister driving in behind the wheel of her car. She felt her blood boil as she stormed out of the house, heels clattering on the marble floor.Scarcely had Ava stepped out of the car when Eva descended upon her, a mask of fury upon her face.“How dare you?" Eva's voice cut through cold morning air. "You went out with Shawn and spent the night at his house, our house, and you waltz up in here in my car like nothing's wrong?"Ava got out of the car, shut the door with calculated calm, her face unreadable. "Good morning to you too, Eva.”"Don't you dare play coy with me!" Eva spat, advancing on her, her fing
Thin curtain shades allowed morning sun to streak the room in patches of gold. Ava stirred, weighed down by exhaustion, yet her mind was in a marathon leading to the opening of her eyes. And then all the pieces fit together-the way Shawn had touched her, the things he said, the manner in which he had looked at her like she was the only female on this earth.She turned her head slightly, and her gaze fell on Shawn's sleeping form beside her, with his arm possessively flung across her waist. 'It really happened' -the thought slammed her heart against her chest.The phone lying next to the bed slicing through the silence of the room. She carefully reached to get it-not wanting Shawn to wake. The screen blinked through texts and calls-all from Eva and her mom and dad."Ava, call me right this minute!""What the hell are you doing with Shawn?""Do you know what kind of mess you're putting us in?" All from Eva.“Ava please, stop this nonsense and come back home” from her mom. But the latt
"She's not coming back, is she?" Eva's voice shook, pacing the length of her parents' living room, fists clenched. She could hardly hold back the burning rage that ran through her veins. "Can you imagine what she's doing, Mom? She is with my husband at this very moment. Pretending to be me!"Her mother, Eleanor Wadsley, waved airily from the couch. "Eva, be still. Ava would do nothing to hurt you. She is your sister—"Don't say that!" Eva snapped, whirling to glare at her mother. "She is not the Ava we used to know. She's selfish, conniving, and… and she doesn't care who she hurts anymore. She left Shawn on the altar, remember? She didn't want him, and now she's back acting like she can just waltz into my life and take everything from me!"The scowl on Eleanor's face softened to concern. "She's still your twin, Eva. Whatever is happening there has to be a reason. Maybe she just-""Don't make excuses!" Eva exclaimed sharply, her voice rising. "You don't understand-she isn't just 'being
"How is she so shameless?" Ava muttered as she viewed from the second floor window of the company building. Her eyes were fixed in the parking space below, where Eva was standing beside Shawn.He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss against Eva's lips. She laughed, the sound light and warm, and set a hand to his arm as she said something Ava couldn't hear. Shawn laughed at it.Jealousy, like fire, had burned within Ava as her chest felt constricted, her fists clutching into the sill. That was supposed to be her life. She should be experiencing this happiness. If only she hadn't run away on that wedding day, it would be her, he adored now.‘You gave that all up, Ava,’ said the bitter voice within her mind, ‘but that does not mean that you can't take it back.’The thought sat there, all dark and alluring. If they could convince an entire company with their resemblances and they didn't notice the switch of management, why couldn't she do the same thing with Shawn and take what was original