Three Days Later – Jayla's Apartment
Jayla wrapped herself in her couch, twirling a coffee cup around in her hand, the warmth that could not be shed still running through her system. She awoke in the dead of night, struggling to breathe, after images of the shootout played out in her head. Her bandaged shoulder ached, reminding her she had been nearer death than she wanted to remember. She hadn't heard from or spoken to Jasmine and Jade since she'd gone out with them the night at the club. Like they even called her, anyway. Something was bothering her about why they would do that. Her phone, which sat on the table beside her, rang. No caller ID. She waited a second before she answered it. "Hello?" Stop, then Axel's raspy, deep voice. "Jayla, we need to talk." She got to her feet. "Now you want to talk? After leaving me high and dry?" "I didn't have any choice." His voicThe Same Night – Jayla's Apartment Jayla felt like she was being watched. As soon as she entered her apartment, she shivered down the spine. Something was off—too quiet. She looked into the room, faint light, sharp eyes scanning it, pounding heart. Everything was fine with her stuff. Something within her was warning otherwise. She moved stealthily into the kitchen, phone in hand. She placed her keys on the counter, standing—and listening in. Nothing. She breathed in again. Paranoid, perhaps. Perhaps— Click of noise behind. Jayla spun, thudding heart thudding in her head. --Nothing. Own quiet hiss of air as she moved towards reach
That Night – Axel's Apartment Axel paced the length of his bedroom, forward and backward in front of his bed, the pictures still grasped in hand in the envelope. The previous day or so had weighed on his shoulders. The pictures. The letters. Burglarizing Jayla's apartment. No coincidence. Something was happening outside of one's control, and Axel could not help but wonder if and why he was nothing more than a pawn in someone's game. His bed phone beeped. He gazed at the screen. Unknown Number. His stomach constricted. He let it ring once. Twice. Then, on a whim, I picked it up. "Yeah?" Nothing. Then that smooth voice, razor blade sound tone. Sarah. "You sound tired, Axel." Sarcasm infused her tone. "Sleep at all?"
Four Days After – Jasmine's ApartmentJasmine's head was a war zone.Two days hence, her head would not sleep. It hit her for the umpteenth time—this awareness of Jayla not being the one—whoever ever came near Jade. It lingered in her mind like a tune she was unable to turn off.Why?Who killed Jade?And the letters—the threats. Somewhere, someone had worked it all out and had played chess, and they were pawns.Jasmine had slept in bed last night, awake and lying there, empty inside. She hadn't slept, she hadn't eaten. Her flat was free of space.She needed out of it.She took deep breaths and collapsed onto the bed, legs hanging over the side, fingers relaxed with loose hairs. Anchor arms, anchor legs, and yet she moved.Air. Coffee. Something mundane on a ritual schedule.With which she might perhaps remember herself.An Hour Later – 12th Street Coffee ShopThe small café fi
Jasmine's Breaking PointJasmine sat rigid in the cafe booth, ears ringing from the slap of her own heart. Sarah. Friend. The woman who'd insulted them all as trash on the tide, in a group.Her mind recoiled from the acceptance.No. Not her.She wanted to close her eyes and pain to forget to break the conversation behind her.Instead, all sweet things returned to her—that which she liked, that which was so real.Years Ago – A Lakehouse MemoryJasmine, Jayla, and Jade lie out on the weathered-down dock, toes in the face of the lake. Water shimmers in the sun, dragonflies darting inches from its face.Sarah had been there for them even during playful moments; smiling at her as she sprayed them with the water her smile broader than the sun on a sunny summer day."Come on Jasmine don't be a wimp!" Sarah had shouted, tugging on Jasmine's hand.Jasmine had screamed, attempting to remain dry, but the bear
Jasmine's Escape – Nobody's Deserved TruthJasmine's heart was pounding as she slipped out of the café quietly, head down, not wanting Axel and Sarah to notice. Her legs were shaking, but she continued as quickly as possible. She did not breathe nor pause and think; she ran. Her hands shook at the door as she tries to unlock the door to her apartment building. She put her hand on her phone, her thumb hovering over her sisters' numbers.Would they even believe her?Jayla and Jade barely trusted her as it was.But she had proof.She was not going to let Sarah and Axel get the better of her.She dialed without delay.Thirty Minutes Later – Jasmine's ApartmentJayla and Jade were seated across from Jasmine their faces contorted in frustration and irritation.Jade rubbed her temples, letting out a sigh. "Jasmine, what is it? You dragged us here like it's life and death or something."
The Aftermath – A Plan Is Born There was quiet in the apartment. Not because there was nothing to say but because there was too much to be said. Jasmine sat and observed Jayla and Jade sit opposite her shell-shocked by what they had just discovered. Their bodies remained still, and their faces expressionless, yet she could sense the energy flowing from them—anger, betrayal, disbelief. Jayla broke the silence. Her voice was cold and biting. "We're calling the police." Jade jumped up to vigorously nod, jumping off the couch to grab her phone and rushing back with it. "This is attempted murder. This is—a conspiracy. We have evidence. We can put this to rest once and for all." Jasmine gulped in a mouthful of air. No. Not yet.
The Next Night – The First Part of Their PlanJasmine pressed fingers onto the smoothly waxed wood of a booth in a dark saloon, her eyes blankly drifting off into space. Whiskey and cigar smell hung in the air and jazz seeped from some ancient speaker far across in the corner.Jayla and Jade sat observing her from behind across where she was sitting, nervously protected.They waited.Then Jack showed up.He was wearing a black leather jacket, smile smeared across his face, still cutting. Jack eased in next to Jasmine and glanced at her sisters before he reclaimed his seat in his chair."Long time, ladies," Jack slurred. "Now, dish—what did you get your noses out of joint about this time?"Jayla was scowling, but Jasmine wasn't as fast on the draw."You get together with someone?" she asked boldly.Jack smiled. "Not anyone." He moved in close to her. "I met the best."Jade raised an eyebrow. "Yo
The Perfect Trap – Tressa Tightens the NooseHer fingers fluttered ever so slightly as she traced the rim of her unraised glass. Slouched shoulders, tilted head, a little to make her appear fragile, unsure. Vulnerable.Axel devoured it.He was lying along the bar, his eyes fixed on her in a hunter's stare, balancing his prey."You look lost," he said, smooth, practiced.Tressa let out a little, hesitant laugh—not too wonderful, just rather small enough to show that her guard was weakening."I guess you could say that again." dropping her gaze as she shook her head as if she didn't want to burden him with her personal issues, though. "It has just been really tough for me this past couple of months. I thought starting over here would be a fresh start, but now…" She let the sentence trail off without completing it.Axel's mouth curled into a tiny twitch of a smile.She could already imagine the thoughts plaguing hi
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