Jayla's Brewing StormAs Jade furiously set into her notebook-her plotting mind piecing together how to bring the sisters down-Axel had set the stage for the next act in this dark theatre of theirs, and that was the playground: an exclusive party. Paranoia, for Sarah, was not good enough; she wanted to see annihilation, the bond between them sisters completely devastated.At the cafe, Sarah drummed her fingers on her coffee mug as Axel outlined this elaborate scheme for the public humiliation of Jayla. But Sarah had a whole lot more in her ambitious tank than Axel did: She wanted them to do worse than just fight-she wanted them to destroy each other.She took a step forward as she smirked, her voice a purr. "Axel, good, the Jasmine look-alike idea, but it's too. Tame. In case Jayla wakes up somewhere strange, humiliated, sure, she will suspect Jasmine. But what if we go further?Axel's eyebrow arched, intrigued, yet a tad guarded. "Further how?The smile now spreading on Sarah's face
Jade paced around her room, her bare feet silent on the plush carpet. The dim light emanating from her night lamp itself had a slight flutter to it, casting eerie shadows across the walls. Her fingers toyed with one hanging thread of her cardigan, telling all the turmoil brewing inside. The mayhem of the party had left her restlessness, yet exhilarating all the same. Well done: Jayla's embarrassment was all but choreographed to the poetic script of events. Of course, Jade wasn't feeling all that happy. Not just yet, anyway.It still echoes within her mind from the call of tonight, a haunting melody-a symphony of smooth calculations thrown across. It would revert to the voice in her brain to confirm everything apparently working for her and let Jade know that she was indeed no pawn but at play as a puppeteer.Jade had been in the middle of rearranging the books on her shelf when her phone buzzed on the desk behind her. She let it ring twice before answering, deliberately slow.“Hello?”
Anger brewed inside her like a silent storm as Jayla stared at the screen of her laptop, her fingers frozen above the keyboard. The voice message replayed in her head like a tape, each word lighting another spark to the ones that had already been lit. Jasmine and Jade had teamed up, didn't she. Her sisters. She bit into her teeth as humiliation replayed in her head, giggles, murmurs, and judgmental stares. They had planned her downfall, and now they were going to pay. But not with the petty games they had gotten so used to. This time, Jayla would play for keeps. Her eyes had fallen on the anonymous message displayed on her phone: "Time to even the odds." Shivers ran down her spine, as that just fed determination she simply could not avoid. Whoever this was, he certainly seemed to understand the amount of anger and needed some payback; it sounded almost like a voice into her most hidden soul part. A plan was beginning to formulate in Jayla's mind-the crystallization of her thought
Jayla paced her room; her thoughts were turbulent as the storm raged within her heart. She had fisted her hands by her sides, her jaw set tight in anger as memories of that party replayed themselves in her mind like a broken record. The smugness radiating from Jasmine grated on her like fingernails on a chalkboard, as did Jade's incessant trying to play mediator. It was infuriating how Jade always came off as the calm, neutral sister, yet somehow she had a knack for keeping them all under her thumb, pretending she wasn't part of the chaos she secretly fueled.Jayla sat on the edge of her bed-no, perched, like a predator waiting for exactly the right moment to strike. Her gaze flickered toward her laptop, the messages glowing on the screen, anonymous. "Do it right, and no one will suspect you." In her mind, those sounded like a whispered encouragement for her plan. The tension in the house had built up, like a pressure cooker, over weeks, and Jayla knew just how she could use that.Jad
Jayla's hand had been shaking the whole time as she finally hit the lock on the screen of her phone and buried it deep in her pocket as if it would make the message go away. She stepped out into the chill late evening breeze that bit into her skin as she entered the parking lot of the hospital while passing headlights blurred into a kaleidoscope of color as her mind whirled with two questions: Who? How?She had planned it down to the last letter. The timing and the setup were all supposed to be perfect. Instead, that message, dripping with sarcasm, whispered against the back of her neck, as if someone had begun to unwrap the layers of her plans and were giggling at what lay beneath.But who could it be? Sarah? No. Jayla hadn't caught any hints that Sarah was suspicious of her, and she had always seemed more focused on Jasmine anyway. Axel? The thought sent a ripple of doubt through her. He was cunning enough to play a double game, but why?Jayla clenched her teeth, forcing herself to
Sarah's heels clicked loudly against the floor of her dark apartment as Sarah tread back and forth, holding tightly onto her phone, with the cryptic messages seared into her brain. "Jayla isn't the only one with secrets." Words cut into her like a knife through confidence so laboriously built. And she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her every move, someone dangerous.The possibilities swirled in her mind. Who was behind these messages? Axel? Not likely. He did not need to spook her like this, not when he also benefited from their arrangement. But the idea that someone else, someone outside her control, pulled the strings left her cold.Her glass of wine remained untouched on the counter; she didn't dare pour another, not now, not when her head needed to stay sharp. Whoever this unknown force was, they were playing a dangerous game, and Sarah would be damned if she let them win.Her phone buzzed again within the grasp of her palm.Unknown Number: "Tick tock, Sarah.
Jayla sat cross-legged on the plush velvet couch in the living room of the Johnson mansion, a smirk twisting her lips. The dim light from the antique chandelier above outlined features that were almost sinister. She swirled the wine in her hand absently, as if it was the glass that was the perfect metaphor of the chaos she had unraveled.She leaned back and blew a harsh breath, the thought running like sugar on fire in her head. It was almost too good. Jade lay in the hospital after that near-fatal car accident. She hadn't died-unfortunately-but was shaken enough to keep her off-balance."Not dead yet," Jayla muttered to herself, a hard smile tugging on her lips-" but shaken. That's good enough for now."She was pleased with that image of her sister being helpless, lying in that hospital bed-so meek and weak. The whole neighborhood had thought of Jade for all those years as the "peacemaker"-way too sweet and far too good. But Jayla knew better. Jade does have ambition, and with each p
Golden sun streams came through the window into the Johnson mansion to bathe the great dining room with its warmth. Three days since the accident had happened, and it is within the atmosphere brought along by such a situation in life. All was well but the surface of each heart seated on hot coals -and burned so much more under Jasmine's skin than any person could imagine.She sat at her vanity, brushing her hair in slow, deliberating strokes while her mind replayed events of the past week: screeching tires, the near miss with the car, and now Jade getting into an accident. The doubt in her mind as to Jayla's involvement in it all was first just a murmur, one she dismissed for paranoia. But now? Now it was a scream she could no longer ignore.The hand closed on the hairbrush in a grip that was almost crushing as the signs turned stark: Jayla had tried to kill her with the "accident" on the street and, failing that, had gone after Jade, tampering with her brakes. In Jasmine's blood, the
The Last Battle – Axel's Final Stand The triplets burst into Audrey's apartment, closing the door. Audrey sat in the middle of the room, holding herself, face white. Jasmine gave her a quick glance. "You okay?" Audrey nodded but winced her hands. Jayla sighed deeply. "You should have mentioned it when he called." Audrey gazed down. "I thought I could handle it." Jade snorted. "Not with Axel. He doesn't listen to no." Jasmine stood by the window, narrowed eyes intently focused as she gazed out. Then she froze. Outside, in front of the window, on the street, a black car. A dark figure in the car. Watching. Waiting. Her heart was pounding. He was here. She spun to her sisters, low voice, resolute. "He's outside." Audrey's eyes widened. "What?" Jayla leaped to the window to look out. Jade cursed under her breath. "That psycho." Jasmine breathed slowly, deeply, attempting to soothe herself. She wasn't scared. She was angry. Axel had done enough already. Sarah was d
The Final Stand – Axel's Last Gamble Audrey was on her couch in her apartment, frowning at her phone, the screen lighting up with an unknown number. Her gut clenched. She knew who it was. The second it started ringing she knew. A shiver ran down her spine, her heart racing. Axel. He was calling her. She swallowed hard, her fists tight. She had blocked him. Had changed her routine. Had tried to close him out of her life. And yet. He'd somehow come back anyway. The ringing stopped. A voicemail message showed up. She was breathing irregularly as she hit play. And then his voice was smooth and even, weighted with something sinfully wicked bouncing off of the walls. "Audrey he said, did you really think I'd let you go that easily?" Her blood went cold. "We both know you still think of me. Of us." Her fists clenched on the phone. No. No, she didn't. She wouldn't. She couldn't. "I gave you your space. I let you pretend. But it's time to come home, sweetheart." Audre
The Fall of a Legacy – Their Father Is Brought to Account Their father slumped in the interrogation room, the stark metal table between him and the detectives. For the first time in his life, he was not in charge. His expensive attorneys weren't going to get him out of this today. His influence, his name, his power—it meant nothing now. The seasoned detective dropped a file onto the desk, reopening it. Pictures. Documents. DNA tests. It all lay before him. "You drew up official papers," the detective said, his own voice tightly controlled. "You drew up fake papers and left your firstborn daughter to live and live comfortably. His father's jaw clenched. The detective continued, "And because of that, Sarah spent her entire life believing she wasn't wanted." A bitter silence. "And now she's dead." For a moment—a fleeting moment—something passed through his father's eyes. Regret? Guilt? Maybe. But too little, too late. The detective leaned in.
The Last Truth – A Mother's Justice The triplets were in their mother's living room, the weight of what they had to say very much on their minds. Their mother sat opposite them, her fists clenched on the armrests of the chair while her face was set in stiff lines. Jasmine took a deep breath. "Mom… we've got something to say." Jayla leaned forward. "Something about Dad." Jade sighed. "And Sarah." Her mother's eyebrows jerked with horror when she said the name Sarah. "What about her?" Jasmine's voice was constricted, but she fought to say something. "She was our sister." Their mother's breath stalled. Her hand gripped the chair as her knuckles turned white. No one uttered a word for a second. Then, in a whisper just above a murmur— "What did you just say?" Jayla swallowed hard. "Sarah… she was Dad's daughter." Jade paused before saying again, "His first daughter." Their mother turned white. "That's not… that's not possible." Jasmine pulled out the pro
The Aftermath – Shadows of the Past The triplets sat in silence, the weight of the news pressing down on them. Sarah was dead. And even after everything she had done. Even after the lies, the betrayals, the destruction It didn’t feel like a victory. Jade let out a slow breath, staring at the floor. “I thought I’d feel… relieved.” Jayla shook her head, her voice quieter than usual. “Me too.” Jasmine's clutch on her cup of coffee spasmed. "She was our sister." Jayla grumbled unwillingly. "Half-sister." Jasmine shut her eyes. "It doesn't matter." For in the end, Sarah had been as lost as they had once been. The difference? She never had her way back. Fraser and Tressa – A New Beginning, or a New Threat? Tressa turned a lock of hair around her finger, watching out the apartment window. "She's really gone," she murmured. Fraser, who stood behind her, let out a deep sigh. "Yeah." Tressa’s chest tightened. Sarah had been many things—an enemy, a rival, a storm in human form.
The Aftermath – A New Future, A Lingering Past Sarah retreated from the front door of Fraser's, her heart pounding in her ears. She'd dreamed to herself for months that she might possibly be able to fix what she'd broken. That she could win him back. But now? Now, she knew more. She'd been too late. Fraser's moved on. And not with someone. With Tressa. A woman as clever, as cunning, as smart as Sarah used to be. Sarah's fists clenched. She'd lost before. But this? This was not the same. This had been done. And she was not so sure that she could do that. And meanwhile – Fraser and Tressa's New Beginning Tressa shut the door, breathing softly as she smiled at Fraser. "A knight?" she said, regarding him. Fraser rubbed at his hair, jaw locked. "That was. unexpected." Tressa smiled, leaning on the wall. "Seriously? You didn't think she'd come crawling back sooner or later, or something?" Fraser breathed slowly. "Part of me did, yes. But that moment I just saw her?"
The Final Confrontation – Axel Witnesses His Downfall Axel lay sprawled on his black penthouse, half a bottle of booze in front of him. It was done. Audrey had won. His secrets were revealed. His reputation, so carefully built, was ruined. And now? Now, he was nothing. A shadow of his former self and suddenly there was a knock on the door. It resounded through the stillness. Axel growled, running a hand through his messed-up hair. He wasn't really in the mood for visitors. And if it was some bill collector or worse—some woman from his other life who'd come to collect from him for what he'd done— He wasn't in the mood. He rose slowly, dragging himself to the door. When he opened it— His blood ran cold. Standing in the hall, smiling like they owned the place, were Jasmine, Jayla, Jade— And Tressa. Axel's gut clenched. "What in the devil are you doing here?" He was curt, rough-voiced. Jayla stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "Wow. You're such an ugly person." Jade
The Pull of the Past – Audrey's Weak Moment Audrey's breath was shaking as she clutched the phone held against her ear. Axel's voice was harsh, deep—altered. "Audrey… don't hang up." She should. She should hang up, push him away, and be done with it. But something in the manner of him speaking her name— Something in the urgency in his tone— Freeze her in mid-air. "Why are you calling me, Axel?" Her voice softer than she'd meant. A breath of silence. Then, a stuttering, nervous breath on the other line. "I just… I wanted to hear you." Audrey swallowed, her heart beating too hard, too fast. "Axel, we—" She closed her eyes. "We're over." A gasp of shock. Then, his voice—soft now. "Are we?" Audrey's stomach plummeted. He was doing it again. That thing where he made her doubt herself. Where he had gotten her doubting everything. But she wasn't that girl anymore. She wasn't going to let him wheedle her back in. "Goodbye, Axel." And this time? She hung up. Her hand
The Aftermath – Breaking Down and Breaking Free Audrey sat by the café window, staring outside at the steam curling above the coffee before her. Weeks had passed since she'd left Axel in the dust. Weeks since her world had come crashing down. Since she'd had to accept that the man of her dreams never existed in the first place. The hurt, in the beginning, had been unbearable. The nights she'd lain awake, reaching for her "phone, only to recall that she'd deleted his number. The mornings she'd woken up expecting the refreshed "good morning, beautiful" text message that never came. The memories of all the falsehoods that pretended to be love. But now? Now, the pain was starting to feel different. Not gone. Never forgotten. But less heavy. Like a weight that she was learning to carry slowly. She took out her phone, reading through messages from the triplets. They'd been calling to check in on her. So had Tressa. That still wasn't sitting well. She had every right to hat