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Seventy-Eight
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2023-09-15 15:10:09Related chapters
Fallen Apart Seventy-Nine
ARIA'S POVReading all the hate comments directed at me on social media was depressing. I had to turn off my phone when I began to receive calls from colleagues and friends from both high school and college. Throughout that day, I lay on the couch and stared at the ceiling after crying my eyes out as I thought of the next step to take. All my plans to forget about everything and move on went down the drain, leaving me with no choice of hope. I couldn't get justice for my parents and I couldn't even defend myself. I was sure my parents were disappointed in me for the way things turned out for me. I wonder how my brother was coping with all the news. Dragging his name into this mess was the last thing I needed. He already had a lot on his plate and I didn't want to add my scandal to it.How I regretted the day I stepped into Styles. I regretted it more that I got myself entangled with Dave Mendez. I was convinced that I had committed a great sin in my past life that was why I was bein
Last Updated : 2023-09-21Fallen Apart Eighty
NIXON'S POVI developed a banging headache as I read the article that was posted that morning and it disturbed me the more because I knew I couldn't do anything to take it down. As expected Lena was pissed about it but I managed to convince her that everything would be fine when I wasn't even sure of what to do. My only hope was to make Dave talk his parent into taking the article down, which might not work if Dave refuses to talk to his parent or if his parent refuses to listen to him. But I was more scared of the latter than the former.After Lena left, I decided to call it a day and leave but instead of going home, I drove towards the outskirts of the city to see Dave. I didn't want to delay things any longer. The faster that article is gone, the better things will be for Aria. Dave had put her through a lot in the few months she had been in Chicago, she deserved to be happy again.I was halfway toward the forest when my phone vibrated in my pocket. My eyebrows scrunched together
Last Updated : 2023-09-23Fallen Apart Eighty-One
XAVIER'S POVThe first I did when I returned to Pittsburgh was visit my parent's grave. I apologize over and over for being an unfilal son. Their murderer was walking free out there but there was nothing I could do to punish him for his crimes. It wasn't that I didn't want to take action and put him behind bars but there was no point in wasting my effort when I knew he was never going to prison with his 00parents standing protectively behind him except he confesses himself. TWO MONTHS AGOAs I was about to start my car, I noticed the blonde officer stepping out of the building and making her way toward my car. She looked behind her and at each side of her before she opened the passenger door and climbed in."What's going on?" I watched her with confusion written all over my face. She took my hand and placed a piece of paper in my palm "This is the address of the store owner's parents in New Jersey. His name is Scott Morgan. His family might be able to lead you to him. Once you find
Last Updated : 2023-10-01Fallen Apart Eighty-Two
DAVE'S POVStill hiding in the cabin, I kept pondering on the effect that my decision would have on the people around me. First was my parent, they did everything to protect me and I didn't want to make all their effort go down the drain.It was already enough for them that they lost the son they could rely on and was left with me who did nothing but oppose them at every chance I get and caused problem. I didn't want them to feel the pain and sadness of losing another child, no matter how useless that child had been to them.And on the other hand, was Aria, who I had hurt the most with the love I had for her. As each day passed, I couldn't help but ask myself, if I had told Aria and everyone the truth at that time and gotten my punishment, would she have forgiven me and understood that I made a mistake? Or would she have less hatred for me? Those were questions that could never be answered unless I turned back the time. Bringing the truth to light would shatter my parent into pieces
Last Updated : 2023-10-05Fallen Apart Eighty-Three
ARIA'S POV"Are you sure you will be okay by yourself or do you want me to go with you?" Lena asked for the tenth time that morning as we drove closer to the airport. I had planned on taking a train back to Pittsburgh as usual but Nixon refused and insisted I take a flight back, claiming it was more faster and more convenient. There was no way I could reject his offer when he already booked the plane ticket with my details through Lena's help behind my back. Lena stopped the car in front of the airport, and I put on my face mask and my hood over my head before coming out of my car. "Be careful, and call me when you arrive home," she said before I walked away from the car, dragging my suitcase behind me.She couldn't escort me inside the airport because she was scared of any reporter spotting her and following her back to Nixon's place. It would not only make things difficult for her that she would be mobbed by reporters all the time but it would put Nixon in a tight spot with the M
Last Updated : 2023-10-08Fallen Apart Eighty-Four
DAVE'S POVWalking out of my cabin, all that was going through my head was to make things right for Aria. She was suffering too much because of me and it had to stop. I went out of the woods and got into my car which was parked at a hidden spot before driving back into the city.When I got to my destination which was my parent's house, I didn't bother driving in because I would be leaving for the company soon. As I walked through the gate, I ignored the staff who were greeting me because I was boiling with anger and I wanted to avoid transferring aggression."Dave, you're here," Mrs. Johnson greeted me with a warm smile as I walked into the living room but the smile dropped when I didn't return the gesture."Where are my parents?" I asked with a blank expression."They are in their room." She pointed to the stairs with her confused gaze on me. I moved to walk past her but she stopped me. "Don't blame them too much, they are only trying to protect you." "But it shouldn't be at the exp
Last Updated : 2023-10-15Fallen Apart Eighty-Five
ARIA'S POVAs I walked out of the airport, I saw Xavier resting against his car, typing away on his phone. When I was close enough, I called his name as I removed the hood over my head. "Hey, little sis." He smiled as he took my bag from my hand. "How was your flight? It wasn't too scary, was it?""Not at all," I replied.He put the bag in the trunk and I got into the passenger seat. "Are you okay?" Was the first thing he asked when he took the driver's seat."I won't lie and say I am" I leaned into my seat. "I'm desperately trying to be fine but it's like the Mendez don't want me to be happy even for a moment." He sighed and looked ahead. "I'm sorry that you have a coward as a brother. Just like before I was never there for you when you needed me the most." I took his hands in mine. "Don't say that, you did what you could. If not for you, I would have married him without knowing the truth. It's not your fault that we are not powerful enough to fight against them but if there's one
Last Updated : 2023-10-31Fallen Apart Eighty-Six
NIXON'S POV"What's going to happen now?" Lena asked as she stepped into my office. I returned to my office with a banging headache after I managed to calm everyone down after the meeting with Dave. The phones in the media department were blowing up with calls and questions about the new article they released. As they were not able to give any reasonable explanation, they had to ignore all the calls.The most frustrating part was that I had no idea what to say to Mr. Mendez. He has been calling me so nonstop that I was forced to switch up my phone. If I was able to predict the future and find out that I would end up in a situation like this when Dave took up the position of the CEO of Styles, I would have done everything in my power to stop that from happening. But it was too late to regret."I have no idea." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm completely blank right now." "How could Dave run off like that after putting everyone in such a horrible situation? Isn't he supposed to
Last Updated : 2023-11-03
Latest chapter
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty Five
I took her view and entered the room. The view that my eyes chanced upon, a woman sitting at the brink of the bed and burying her face in her hands, had revved up my heartbeat; she lifted her head and looked at me. There was surprise as well as confusion in Aria's gaze."Dave…what are you doing here?" she asked, tremulous her voice.I stepped closer to her, and my heart went out to her. "Aria, please, don't do that. We have to talk. You had to know how much I love you, and we have got to do this together. Please don't make this mistake. Don't decide without you talking to me," she said.She stared into mine, her own already welling with water. "I don't know if I can do this, Dave. I'm scared… so scared."."I know you are," I said, my voice cracking as the emotions spun their way inside of me. "But I'm scared too, Aria, scared to death of letting go of you and our child. We can face this together. I love you and will be with you no matter what. Please just allow us a chance."She tremb
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty Four
DAVE'S POVThe reports lay on the desk as my eyes looked at them without really seeing. It was two weeks ago—the night that had unleashed all my emotions with Aria. She hadn't been returning my calls or texts, and every time I tried to find her, the doors closed in front of me.It was as if that had been such a welcome distraction from the growing pit of dread deep in my stomach—one which it was easy to leave my focus on. Therefore, I just thought that probably Aria needed some space and time to think, and I gave it to her. But the days were beginning to slip into weeks; the chasm between us began to feel impossible to cross.I was just about to get into the other useless read-through of the reports when the shaking of my door broke with a knock. Before I could get a chance to answer, Nixon walked in, a sad look across his face."Dave, we have got to talk," he said, shutting the door.I rose to my feet; missed a beat in my heart. Nixon never did drama so whatever his news was, it had
Fallen Apart part 2: Chapter Twenty Three
Returning to Chicago was very much like stepping into the storm all over again. The city was the same—booming and ruthless; only I was different now. The sojourn at Pittsburgh had poured in a new perspective and a brief sabbatical from the storm that life was getting transformed into. Onwards, as I pushed open the doors and jumped into the office of the magazine, all my lugging from the past came back and sat on my shoulders again.I virtually wore the broadest smile ever as I greeted colleagues around, with their eyes to my back, and whispers trailing down the hall. News about Jax did travel fast, and however much I wanted to act like I did not hear the murmurs, they were impossible to ignore."'Did you see him? Jax is still in prison…Isn't she the one who used to go out with him?"Yeah, apparently she's trying to steer clear of any more drama. Who can blame her?"The two prattled on, voices droning in my ears as I looked down, burying myself in my work. I had the art of evasion of
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty Two
Xavier had spent most of the next fortnight within the confines of the house with his baby daughter, little Aurora; mankind could attribute getting associated with the atmosphere of normality amidst these crazed minds in and around people. They made one feel slightly better, anyways. The bright spot in my life was Aurora, Xavier's baby. Her laughter and innocence diverted my mind from that hurricane inside my guts.And Xavier, he never stopped showing up. Either waiting to hold me with all of my words, many, or sitting wordless with me when my words failed. He had wars of his own, his own aches: waiting for Savannah to return, raising Aurora on his own. But it never crossed him from how he was acted at that it was of much miracle to be noble, he quared each new day with that kind of fortitude. I saw and wished I could find it in myself.And suddenly it was one of those evenings where one sat in the porch with the sunset overhead, and this very question was coming alive inside me since
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty one
ARIA'S POVAnd there was the sun, first off, up close, shining warmly but in an absolutely singular, discreet design, wringing and bright out through the blinds and all over my bed. For one moment all was also right in my world; this was just some stupid nightmare. For a brief second, there was a sense that everything in the world was also just fine; it was all just some ridiculous nightmare. But as the fog of sleep thinned, I could see the face of reality coming creaking down upon me.There was the weight of a body beside me and the familiar scent of Dave's cologne in the air. Dread consumed me as my head turned to his, slowly, heart in the throat, lying beside me, still asleep. His face really looked peaceful, quite unlike the trouble that I knew was dwelling underneath.Panic surged through me at the full force of what I had done. As soon as I lay in Dave's bed, in full nudity and all the sheets, it all came back, the way that I kissed him. I had let myself fall into the biggest t
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Twenty
DAVE'S POVDarkness had passed as I finally drove the old Civic through the winding city streets, my brain swirling with thoughts that snaked into a cocktail of feelings, triumph and unease. The news of Jax spread like a wildfire through the grapevine, and much as I loathed to admit, somewhere deep inside me, the thought of his downfall came with a bit of joy. That definitely had to be said: he had it coming. Not half of me, though—there was another that couldn't see past Aria's face in my head when she discovered all that she had been told. What would she do? Didn't she see this as a way to get rid of him and finally turn back to me? Or would she retreat into herself as she had retreated before, only this time even more broken?It was with all that running through my head that I pulled up outside Aria's apartment. I parked the car, opened the door, and let the cool night air do little to settle the restlessness in my chest. I came to her front door and knocked, waiting for her to an
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Nineteen
ARIA'S POV Long before the fallout hit. My phone started going off and never stopped, vibrating out of its cradle the second the story broke. Friends, colleagues, reporters—everyone wanted a piece of the madness. I ignored them all as my heart raced, scrolling through the headlines; each one landed in my gut like a gut punch: “Jax Grayson's Secret Life Exposed!" “Exposé in the Fashion World: The Unimaginable Reality of a Fashion Giant!" "Jax Grayson Probed for Money Laundering!" I felt like throwing up. My stomach somersaulted with the words of the allegations. They had to be wrong. Simply wrong. Jax was one of the good guys, sweet …How in the world could he have held something like this secret from me? From everyone? My hands were shaking as I fumbled with that bar of digits to call Jax, hoping against all odds that there was some kind of explanation; a way that maybe this could all just be a horrible, horrible mistake. But when he picked up, his voice came flat, resigned.
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Eighteen
DAVE'S POV I crossed through the doorway into my office, started pacing, and wondered how to deliver this piece of dynamite to Nixon. My office was quiet except for the humming of air conditioning. Inside my head was a no-man's-land. What I was doing, I felt, was walking a tightrope. One wrong step and everything could come crashing down. But at that moment, thinking of her in Jax's arms, of her being able to smile again the way she used to smile at me, made it resolute, and somehow, I knew I had to go through it. This morning, Nixon was extremely caught up. He had one meeting and call after another, so he was active. Still, I knew that at least I had to try and speak to him before going any further with the plan. He wasn't just a friend; he was my brother-in-law, partner in crime, the one man who could talk me out of any crazy idea I came up with. I inhaled slowly, then walked into his office. The door swung a bit wide, and behind the desk, I could see him buried in some paper
Fallen Apart Part 2: Chapter Seventeen
ARIA'S POVMy phone buzzed, it must have been for the hundredth time that morning. I didn't need to look, though all texts and notifications seemed to come down to the same thing. Well, the rumour mill hadn't stopped since Jax and I got together, but today… Today felt different. You could feel it in your bones, like a storm about to hit just out of sight."I rather reluctantly opened my phone again to scroll through the scores of messages, tweets, and posts flooding my feed. I looked up sheepishly to see what adorned every major gossip website: "New Power Couple: Aria Stephenson and Jax Grayson Romance Heat Up!" with pictures of him and me leaving that wedding together last night.". The photos had captured everything—how Jax used to hold me close and how I'd look at him.But the captions only distorted everything, making what was such close, personal time between the two of us into a public spectacle.The anxiety mixed with impatience surged, upped by apprehension in my chest. This
