Ava’s POV
When I got to the doctor's office, I froze at the doorway. The doctor was there but he wasn’t alone.
“Ava, you are here…”, Dr. Smith's face when I walked in wasn’t encouraging, and I immediately panicked.“Is there something wrong with my baby?” I asked, still at the door, and before he could answer a deep husky voice drew me to the man seated opposite him.
“Mrs. Ava Brown? Do come in” there was something about his voice that helped me calm down but only for a second before the alarms in my head started ringing.
“Who is this?” I asked immediately I took in his appearance.
Dressed in a white shirt and jeans that did nothing but show his chiseled body structure, my eyes trailed down from his defined jawline down to his toned body.
He smelt like danger.
“Mrs. Brown, please come in and settle down so we can talk” Dr. Smith said, pulling me out of my trance and as he cleared his throat I composed myself, hiding my flushed face with my hair.
Holding his piercing gaze, I asked, my voice sounding a little shakier than I had wanted it to be, “Talk about what, doctor? Is there a problem?”
“Please, sit down,” Dr. Smith finally said, his voice laced with a hint of unease. I didn't know what was going on in here but Dr. Smith's body expression towards the weird stranger was screaming at me to run.
My heart racing, I took a step back, my eyes fixed on the stranger, but he simply smiled, and said, “Relax, princess”.
“What?” I asked, this poke nosing stranger's casual remark caught me off guard, and I felt a flush rise to my cheeks in embarrassment.
“You just sat down, but your fingers have already sunk into the chair, relax, I don't bite,” he replied with a smirk and an amused glint in his eyes.
I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool, but I could feel my heart racing in my chest.
I turned to face Dr. Smith, who looked like he was about to cry.
“What's going on?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I’m going to ask you for the last time, who is the man?” I asked, gesturing towards the stranger, who was still smiling at me.
The nerve of this man!
Dr. Smith hesitated as his eyes nervously glanced between me and the stranger. “Ah, Ava, this is… uh… Mr. Beckham,” he stammered.
“And?” I cut him, “and since when did you start stammering? Is there something going on here that I should know?” I asked hurriedly, standing up.
Dr. Smith then dropped a bombshell. “Thank you for coming on short notice, Ava,” he said, his voice trembling.
“Can you please go straight to the point? You’re making me scared. If something is wrong, say it already, so a solution can be found”.
“I’m afraid to say, but there’s no solution for this. There was a mistake in the IVF procedure.” He paused, taking a deep breath before delivering the devastating news. “It wasn't Mr. Brown's sperm that was used to fertilize your egg.”
“What?” It almost felt like I was thrown a bucket of cold water, my eyes stayed fixated on Dr. Smith's own searching for signs that this was some sort of prank.
What was he saying? That the baby I was carrying wasn't my husband's and that some stranger's sperm, more specifically the stranger whose eyes hadn't left mine, had been used to create my child?
“I am so sorry, Mrs. Brown, I know how much you really wanted this” he added, and I felt a tear trickle out. My world was spinning out of control in just a day, and It felt like I couldn't catch my breath.
“Dr. Smith, please stop this, I am finding it hard to understand you,” I stammered, my voice shaking.
“Do you mean I'm pregnant with a… a bastard?” The words tasted bitter in my mouth.
Once again, the stranger cut in, “My foetus is no bastard!”
“Smith?” I pleaded for him to tell me that this was a joke!
“Ava, I'm sorry, it was a mistake” he apologized. “Meet your baby's father, Mr. Zayn Beckham.”
I bursted into laughter as the pieces clicked into place.
Ethan.
This was all a plot by Ethan to destroy me, to take away even the one thing that was mine just because I didn’t choose our marriage?
Without thinking, I turned and ran out of the office without looking back.
“Ava!” I heard someone yell after me, and I turned to see a group of menacing men in black suits chasing after me. A cry of fear almost escaped my lips, but I bit it back, fueling my flight.
No one was going to take my child from me. I won’t let them.
Ethan could go to hell.
He wasn’t going to leave me broke and then ruin my life!
Thankfully, Dr. Smith's office was located on the ground floor.
And just when I ran out of thinking I could just blend in, I met another group of men, all dressed in black, standing like they had been waiting for me.
Behind them was a limousine, which I guessed would be used to bundle me up.
I scoffed and couldn’t help but think of how far could Ethan go to make me pay.
Ignoring their shouts for me to stop, I ran and upon arriving at a T-Junction I stopped, I was stuck between the busy road and these men in black.
I looked between them one more time before running onto the road, just as I was about to reach the other side the sole of my sneakers pulled off and at the same time my eyes met the incoming trailer.
‘Shit!’ At that moment, I just stood frozen, right in the middle of the road and in front of the blaring trailer.
My mind went blank. I was going to die!
Just as all hope seems lost, I felt a strong-arm wrap around my waist, pulling me into a solid chest.
“Breathe!” a familiar, husky voice commanded.
I looked up, startled, into the piercing blue eyes of the stranger, Zayn Beckham.
His face was inches from mine, and I couldn’t help but think of how juicy his lips looked.
For a moment, I forgot about the chaos and everything except the feeling of his arms around me.
“Playing love in the middle of the road?” I heard the angry trailer driver yell before adding, “You are so crazy!”
“How could you be so careless with my child?” Zayn's angry voice cut through, and the reality of the situation dawned on me. Before I could react, Zayn swept me up in his arms, ignoring my struggles and screams to be let down. He carried me back to Dr. Smith's office. Inside his office, Dr. Smith was empty and as soon as he set me down, his eyes never left mine. “You must be a fool to work alongside my crazy, now ex-husband to take my child!” I yelled at Zayn, my voice. “What kind of monster are you?” I spat, but Zayn's expression remained calm but amused. I continued to rant, my anger fueling my words. “Let me go now, or I'm calling the cops!” I threatened, trying to sound braver than I felt. He handed me a few papers. “I didn't come here to negotiate,” he said, his voice low and even. “Neither can your greedy husband afford me.” I scoffed, feeling a surge of resentment, but Zayn wasn't done with me yet. He took a step closer. “This child is mine,” he said, his voice firm. “My sperm, my DNA. And I had Ethan sign away any future legal claims for a… little token.” He paused, his eyes never leaving mine. What was he talking about? “I don’t understand, what do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “You aren’t aware of your husband’s dealings? Ten million dollars is no joke for a bankrupt man,” Zayn said, his voice devoid of emotion. “And you think I believe you? You’re a pathetic liar. Ethan wouldn’t do such”. “Our contract is included in what I handed to you. He did mention that you would have no issue.” He responded by handing me a document. Desperately, I rummaged through the papers, my hands shaking as I searched for the contract. And then, I saw it. The words blurred together as I read, but the meaning was clear. Ethan had indeed signed off claims, my breath knocked out of me and I burst into tears. Today was a nightmare; it was my waking hell. Ethan, the man I had trusted, the man I had loved did not only divorce me, he had betrayed me in the worst possible way.Ava’s POV“How long are you going to cry?” Zayn finally asked, and I froze, my sobs halted mid-breath. I had spent the entire day crying, from the divorce to this latest betrayal. Zayn's words struck a chord within me. I took a deep breath, wiping away my tears. I looked up at Zayn, my eyes locking onto him. “You may have signed a contract with my now ex-husband,” I began, my voice steady, “and honestly, it has no business with me. I suggest you get a refund from him, this is my body, and it’s only I that gets to decide, you don’t know how much I have always wanted this child, and I will not let you take him away from me.But Zayn interrupted me, “Yes, that's why you would have access to them, and the best part is after everything you would be paid for everything”“Being a paid live-in nanny doesn't sound bad?” He added, and I felt like I'd been slapped. A live-in nanny? “You are a joke mister, do you think money matters to me, I didn’t take a dime in your trashy money so you had b
AvaA week passed since I was brought to his place. I counted all the days. Every single day I tried to find a way, but all the paths had been blocked. I wasn't allowed anywhere outside the mansion and all the guards left had their eyes on me.It was suffocating. Same routine of eating, taking vitamins and sleeping all in isolation.I couldn’t help but wonder if this was how the next nine months of my life would be.No, I refused to stay here for that long. I wanted to live with my child, in a place full of life. My child deserved more than this.I refused to give up hope. I was going to find my way out of here, but first, I had to confront Ethan.The reminder of the man I once called my husband made anger surge inside me. He had ruined my life, was cheating on me and used me and my child for his gain. He was going to answer to everything mAnd thereafter, I was going to take as many belongings as I could and run from this place. Even if it meant leaving the city, I would do it if it m
ZAYNI was startled by her last words. No one has ever spoken to me in that manner before, but I’d let her. Hurt shone in her eyes, and for the first time in a long while, I felt remorseful forever causing her pain. At this point, I couldn't do anything besides just stare. Was I truly a monster as she thought? I believe that I was doing the right thing. She wasn't going to leave with my legacy or harm him in any way.Sophia's arms stroked my arms gently as I continued brooding. “I hate seeing you this way. Why do you allow such a non-entity to have so much impact over you?” I scoffed at her accusations because this was not what I was expecting her to say. “How is your trip to Rio de Janeiro going?” I replied. She moved away from my back and sat on my lap. “I believe that you have a lot to tell me about your trip too. How come I am just finding out that you are leaving without informing me? That's wild if you ask me.” She responded, ignoring the question. That was a cop-out. “Soph
AVAI could hear the drilling of the door from where I sat, but I didn’t care. The maids and guards had tried getting me to open the door, but I refused, and I’m sure they already called Zayn; hence the breaking of the door. Being locked in this room like a prisoner was already messing with my head, and he would have to shove that food in my mouth if he really wanted me to eat.There was a loud bang as the door fell to the floor, Zayn’s eyes blazed with anger as he walked into the room, his eyes throwing daggers at me “What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?” He thundered, but I didn’t even spare him a glance. “What’s this I hear about you locking the door and refusing to eat? Do you plan to starve my kid to death? “ He asked, but I kept mute as if he weren’t talking to me.He stared at me for a while and when he saw that I want going to speak, he spoke again,” I didn't know that I was talking to a deaf person.” He hurled another insult at me and I rolled my eyes, clearly annoying him
AVA “Grrrrrr!” The harsh sound of the alarm clock filtering into my ears had me groaning as I woke up with a start. I massaged my temples and stretched, letting out a small yawn. “Freedom at last,” I muttered under my breath when A chuckle filtered into my ears again, making me jolt. My hands flew to my chest to stop the beating organ from bursting out in fright.Emily? Standing right in the middle of my room with a wild smile on her face was the maid who helped me escape that day.I stared at her for a minute, blinking and rubbing my eyes to be certain she was the one.“It’s me, Ava” She said, smiling, and I jolted from my bed, running to meet her. “It's you!” I squealed in delight, throwing my arms around her in a tight hug. “How did you get in here? Did he see you?!” I whisper-yelled after releasing her from my grip. She nodded, raising her hands in a placating manner. “Yes, he saw me”What?!I hugged her again. “I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that because of me.
ZAYN'S POV My lips pressed into a firm line, as Sophia's voice rang out, echoing through the dining hall. She was supposed to be in Rio De Janeiro, but why did I feel so mad about her timing?Exhaling through my nose, I slammed my fork on the table. “And what are you doing here? What happened to your trip?” I asked, gritting my teeth. Sophia blinked rapidly, disgust lighting her face, “What is going on here, Zayn. Just now, the both of you were…”“I asked first. What the hell are you doing here?” I interrupted, turning to her. “Does that matter? Is that the most important thing now? No, I don't think so!” Sophie moved closer, her eyes bouncing from me to Ava. She was starting again. She was trying to raise trouble, “You not talking makes it all the more suspicious.” She spat.“What exactly is wrong with you, Soph? You just came in, and started flying wrong accusations everywhere. What do you think happened? Did you see me locking lips with her, or does this perhaps look like a bed
AVA’S POV “Who the hell is Lucy?” I screamed, my voice hoarse with panic, “H…how did she die?” I stammered, my legs trembling in fear.What exactly had I gotten myself into? My mind was racing. I couldn't think straight. My eyes bouncing between all three of them, I blinked, trying to piece together what the man just said. Why was no one answering me? Their silence was adding to my fears.“Why won’t you talk? Please…. Answer me” I said, moving forward, careful not to step on the glass, “Just now, you were saying something about another surrogate dying.” my voice came out urgent, and desperate with a little wobble.I swallowed, moving closer to the strange man, who had a lazy grin on his face. Zayn spoke up, his voice firm, “Ava, go inside. You need rest. I’ll explain later.”Who needed the damned rest when something like death was mentioned. “He didn’t tell you? What a pity…” Zayn's uncle began, with a pitiful smile and adding more to my fears, “Lucy was so pretty, it’s such a pi
ZAYN'S POVSophia folded her arms, shaking her head, as she exhaled. “It won't take me long. It's just a week this time around. A week will pass by before you know it. It's only seven days. Seven days, Zayn.” She held up her fingers, looking at me with such desperation that made it seem like she wanted to push the exact way she was feeling onto me. “That's what you keep saying. I'm tired of hearing you give excuses! What exactly are you going there to do?” I snarled, my voice dripping with venom. It wasn't long since she went to Rio de Janeiro, now she was talking about Jamaica! “New products will be released in Jamaica, and I have to be there to inspect them in person. Check everything out, and decide which ones I want, and which ones I don't want.” “You’re so unbelievable, Sophia! An assistant can do that for you. You can have a video call on it. Isn't this just an excuse?”“No. There might be little flaws that I can't see unless I go there in person. Touch it, feel it… you don'
AVAI’ve lost count of how many days I've stayed here. Escaping proved more difficult than I thought it would. The other day I found out that Carter had changed my name, and even created a new passport.How he was able to do that in my unconscious state still amused me. Everything about the house was creepy, from the colors of the room, to the old maid, to the numerous bodyguards. Who knew Carter, Zayn's supposed bodyguard and trusted servant, could be this rich? I’ve not been allowed to leave the house and anytime I ask why, Carter's excuse was that I am not strong enough to start moving out. And when I persisted, he said I didn’t have the right clothes to go out with. And so today, he decided to get me the ‘RIGHT’ clothes. The sound of his horn broke me away from my thoughts. I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me he’d arrived. I hurriedly went into the room and laid down on the bed. In no time, the door was open ajar and Carter walked in. This has been the normal routine of com
CASSANDRA I stepped out of the house for the first time in two months. I couldn’t leave the kids for a second with the fear that my mother would strike. Seconds, minutes, days and now two months, I have cried every night and woken up to different nightmares. Her face haunted me—I could still remember how she looked when she found out I had betrayed her. Guilt was killing me slowly, and it only worsened when I looked into Zayn’s eyes. I see him struggling every time, the other day I found him crying in the garden. The last time I’d seen him like this was when he lost his mother, and it hurts that I partook in his pain. I was stupid, wicked and misled. Sometimes I felt like coming clean, but that will make him hate me and distance me from the kids I’d vowed to protect with my life. And now, I was in my car, going to see the mastermind behind all this—Rebecca Beckham. My mother. I was done hiding, it was time to stand up to her. It was a three-hour journey and
ZAYN It’s been 74 fucking days since I last saw her. Papers, files, documents, and lots more were scattered on the table, all contained clues and places I’d already searched. But I wasn’t stopping anytime soon.If I have to, I’ll search the whole world for her. I refused to accept that she died. It seemed too convincing. The shrill of my phone rang loudly, and I didn’t bother checking it, “Any news?” I asked, immediately, my voice hoarse from days without proper rest. It was my agent, Noah. “No sir.” He responded, “But one thing is confirmed, she is not in the waters. In all my years of expertise, if someone dies in the water, the current always returns to the body after a few days, a week, or even a month. But in Ava’s case, there’s nothing to show even after continuous searching.”I heaved a sigh of relief. This was what I wanted to hear—that she didn’t die in the water, that’s why I asked them to search.This was also confirmation that Ava was RESCUED. She had been pulled out,
AVA The door creaked open, and I shut my eyes immediately, pretending to be asleep. I could hear footsteps coming closer to where I laid. And then—strong, sweaty hands roamed around my body and I felt like I was being pricked by a needle. I already knew who it was…his fragrance was choking the hell out of me. His hands reached my chest and I stiffened. What did he want to do? My heart was racing and just as I was about to hit his hands off, the shrill of his phone rang. His hands left my body as he stood up, I heaved a deep breath. “Blackwood speaking.” His irritating voice spoke out, and I peeked my eyes open to see him by the window. “I can’t believe it worked. The universe seems to work in my favor.” I froze, my ears listening attentively, I couldn’t hear what the other person was saying but from Carter's response, I already had an idea. “She doesn’t remember a thing, Noah!” He squealed in delight and I tightened my hands underneath the bed. “I’m not let
AVA What was he saying? Christopher? My husband? Why was Carter telling lies to me? Or were we in any sort of trouble?Every nerve in my body screamed at me to react, to shout, to call out the lie—but I didn’t. Something about the way he was looking at me…the way his words were so carefully chosen… told me this wasn’t just a misunderstanding.This was a setup.My heart was racing beneath the calm facade I put on my face. The last thing I could recall was the sound of the gunshot…falling from the cliff and sinking deep into the river. And then…darkness clouded by vision. But here I was, Alive and Awake with Carter spilling lies to me. My eyes scanned around the room before landing back on Carter, he had a smug expression on his face. “Where are we?” I asked, my voice low.My body ached so bad, especially my legs and I could barely sit upright. “My love, we are home.”Home? This didn’t look like home. The vicinity didn’t even look familiar, and it made me wonder where I was.
CARTER.United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Cleveland Clinic, 9am. The sound of the beeping machines was the only thing that could be heard in the room. I walked to where she was laying down…looking so pale but her beauty remained untouched. She was still as beautiful as ever. Infact the most beautiful lady I have ever seen. I heaved a deep breath taking a seat beside her, my eyes fixed on her. I couldn’t stop wondering— what if I didn’t get there in time? When I called that fateful day, and she didn’t pick my calls, I knew something was wrong. My men confirmed it when they spotted her car speeding out of her house. We tracked her location but by the time I got there, it was already too late. The divers began their work and Ava was found deep in the water. It was a miracle that she still had a faint heartbeat. We made sure to clean all our tracks before leaving the vicinity. Treatment commenced immediately in New York but when I discovered Zayn still believed she was alive I had t
ZAYN. I staggered into the house, my head spinning. This had been my daily routine for two months now, and I didn’t care. Ava has left a deep void filled with darkness in my heart and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to accept she was dead. I ended up getting drunk every day, so I could see her in my dreams. Immediately I stepped into the sitting room, the light was turned, and I covered my eyes with my hands. “Who the fuck is that? Turn off that light!” I yelled, my head pounding. “When are you going to stop this?” Cassandra’s brittle voice spoke up, “For goodness sake, Zayn, it’s 4am in the morning, and you have been in the bar all day.” She continued, “You think this is what Ava would want? You drinking yourself to stupor?” “I …w…wasn’t drinking.” I lied. She scoffed, “You reek of alcohol, Zayn. From your clothes to your scent, everything about you and it’s so infuriating since you’re supposed to be a father of newborn babies.”
ZAYN I heard it. A gunshot. My stomach twisted as I redialed her number, but it wasn’t going through. Without hesitation, I dashed out of my office—running. I didn’t care about the stares I was receiving as I shoved past anyone in my way. The last words of Ava kept ringing in my ears. “Save the kids…” My breath was ragged as I ran down the stairs. I couldn’t wait for the elevator. The panic…the fear… in her tone shook me to the core. They are in danger. My family is in danger! In minutes, I was at the parking lot. I got in my car, my hands trembling as I started the engine. “Nothing is going to happen to them.” I kept muttering to myself, like a prayer I was trying so much to believe. I tried her number once again, but it kept redirecting to voicemail. My heart sank. With one hand on the steering, I called the police. “Ava and the kids are in danger.” I said, my voice laced with urgency, “I need your men at my house, now.” The ch
AVA My eyes widened in shock as tears threatened to fall from my eyes….Casandra…was the…. “Fuck you!” I yelled at her, “What did I ever do to deserve this from you?!”I trusted her.I thought we had a sisterly bond, but she wanted me dead all along. She couldn’t look me in the face and from where I stood I could see a teardrop from her eyes.“Why the hell are you crying, you witch?” I continued, as tears rolled down my cheeks, “Zayn warned me….he did! But I choose to trust you.”Why did everyone I trust always end up hurting me? She raised her face to look at me, “I… I’m sorry, Ava…it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. This is not about you, and I’m so sorry you got dragged into all this, but it has to happen.”What was she saying?“What…”“Oh, dearest Ava,” Sophia cut in with a smirk on her face, “let me answer your questions.”She stepped closer, the gun still in her hand, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.“Cassandra has never been the angel you thought she was…..remember Am