ZAYN
I 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. “Sophia, I would prefer it if you tell me exactly what you want me to say. I do not have the time to keep on talking about something that I have mentioned, but you didn't consider it very important. I also do not want to bother myself now that you are leaving.”
Sophia cupped my cheek shooting me a sheepish smile. "I understand what you mean, darling, but I need to go to my fashion show. I promise you I will be back before you can even say, “Jack.” She said before leaning towards me and planting a kiss on my cheek.
“Exactly the same thing you have been telling me for the past few years, and now you are still leaving without considering how anyone must feel. I believe you understand what this means to our family don't you?” I inquired from her so that we had a mutual understanding.
She smiled sheepishly again at me. “Babe, I have my business all over the States. You can't expect me to be here at every point in time just to make you happy. Since we already have a child growing in that lady's womb, I believe that we do not have anything to worry about anymore.”
I squinted in confusion, this had to be the most disgusting thing she had said to me ever since we met. “You and I know that that lady is under house arrest. Does she look like someone ready to take the risk to carry our baby to term?”
Her face was filled with anger. “You have a way of controlling people to do whatever you want. Why is she different all of a sudden? Why can't you make her carry the baby to term without having any complications? I hope you understand what this is about. We need this baby Zayn,” she insisted.
“You need to calm down because that's beside the point, Sophia. I'm talking about you leaving every time. It's almost as if there's no week that you used to spend at home.”
She reached for my shoulders and massaged it gently. “I'm sorry, babe, but I mean only just trying to put my Brand on the map. This is my time of investment, and I promise you that once I'm done with this, I will abandon this life because this is not how I want to train our child.”
I hummed in disbelief. This wasn't the first time that she had promised to become a supportive, our wedding is being delayed because of her. She leaned downwards and kissed me again, but sadly, I didn't feel the spark that I used to.
Her fingers traced my lips gently. “I know that I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I promise to do better. I would make sure that everything is done right. I just need to seal the deal and return. I won't even take 3 days. I'm going with your private jet baby.”
I rolled my eyes at her subtle suggestion. This was a way of all this getting things but today was going to be different. “Listen, Sophia, you make more than enough money to fund whatever you want. Why do you still make it a point of duty to get mine?” I inquired, tired of her spoiled nature.
She smacked my arm gently, “Babyyyy… How can you even say that to me? How would I know that you love me except if you provide for me? You have never had a problem providing in the past. What changed?” She demanded, before pouting like she was about to cry.
I knew what tactics and wasn't even moved by her tears. She could go ahead and cry all she wanted, but she wasn't going to get this from me today. “I said what I said, and I'm not taking it back. If you want to go to Rio, then you should be able to pay for your tickets with your money. It doesn't make any sense that you do not use your money for anything in this house. Why, then, do you work with so much fervor?” I inquired, shutting down the conversation.
She glared at me for some seconds before realizing that I was not going to budge on my stance. “I can't believe this. How dare you disgrace me by asking me to use a public airplane? I am your woman. You should provide everything that I need without me having to ask you for it. My friends are going to laugh at me.”
“That's if their spouse do not also find this attitude disgusting." I retorted and looked away from her.
“Babeee…" She called childishly, and my phone rang out.
I picked the phone ignoring her tantrums. “Boss, I’m sorry for bothering but, Ms. Ava has locked her room door from inside and has refused to open it or talk”. The guard said, his tone brimming with urgency. “We suspect something is wrong”.
What?!I jumped to my feet. That lady had better not dare me!
“Prepare equipment to break that door! I’m on my way.” I barked, already heading to the door.
Sophia’s voice trailed after me. “You’re just going to leave? We are still talking, Zayn. ”
“I have something important to attend to, book your goddamn ticket, Sophia!”
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'
AVA’S POV“I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention. I…”“It's fine” I cut in, quickly, stepping backwards, as I blinked uncomfortably. “I'll just… uh, I'm just going to… you know, go out. Like you wanted me to.” Stepping backwards, I turned around, and left his office immediately, sucking in all the breath I'd forgotten to breathe in. His receptionist was staring at the door, and my guilty conscience made me think she had somehow magically heard and seen everything that went on. “Where is the waiting room?” I asked, and she rose from her seat. “Come with me, please.” She said, getting out from behind her desk to walk ahead of me and my bodyguard.We went with her, and I couldn't help thinking of all that went on minutes ago. Everything had just changed drastically, and the energy was weird. His eyes! They looked like a swirling tsunami of desire. They acquired a dark feel as he stared at me, and even now, the goosebumps were present on my skin. I exhaled through my mouth, and shook m
ZAYN'S POVAva clutched my shirt with shaking fingers as she watched me with her large dark eyes bouncing between mine.“What happened?” My hands settled on her shoulders feeling the violent tremors running through her. She tried to speak, tried to take in deep breaths, but couldn't stop the frantic shallow gasps from escaping her. I looked towards her room, as she also looked back, her pupils blown wide with panic. Her grip clamped down even harder on my chest. “In my room…” her voice was a breathy whisper that trembled with the force of her terror. My chest tightened, as an unsettling dread cooked in my belly, “What did you see?” My lips stretched into a thin line. “I… I…” a sob broke out of her, and her trembling fingers flew to her mouth, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She struggled to get the words out. “Wait here.” I said, brushing her hands off my clothes gently, stepping cautiously to her room.There it was. I didn't even need to step in before my breath was knock
AVA’S POVI woke up to the sound of Zayn's voice speaking rapidly on the phone, or was it the breeze pouring in?As I turned to look, my eyelids fluttered open slowly, and I met with the luxurious ceiling of the hotel before turning to see Zayn standing in front of the water dispenser, ending his call with frustration on his face. Sitting up, I noticed my breakfast spread out on the table, with a wide range of delicacies ready to be devoured. Why did he order so much for just breakfast?“Did you find out who did it?” I asked, my voice a little hoarse, and he turned a little too sharply like he hadn't expected me to be awake. He exhaled softly, before heading over to the sofas crowded around the spread out breakfast. “I think you should have your meal first.” He said, opening some closed dishes. I closed my eyes, letting out a slow sigh, “Has the matter been solved? I want to know that first.” The image of that horrific scene still played in my head, and no matter how tight I shu
Zayn’s POVI paced back and forth on the hallway, my heart racing with different thoughts. Who could have done this to her?!How were we not able to notice?The doctor hasn’t said a word since I came in, and it was like my heart was being ripped out of my chest, I couldn’t stay calm, no matter how I tried.The image of her face contouring in pain and her vomiting blood was still fresh in my head and…. I was scared. What if she…. No, I shouldn’t be negative. I promised to protect her… I promised her no harm, how did I not see this coming? Pain, anger, fear, was all that was radiating through my body and I needed to vent it out on something.I couldn’t wait any longer, The antiseptic smell of the hospital hit me like a punch to the gut as I pushed open the doors of the room. But I was blocked by some of the nurses and security, “Sir you can’t be here, you need to wait outside”. One of them said, holding me back.From where I stood, I could see her. My heart melted away, tears threateni
AVA'S POV. “What are you implying, then?” Cassandra asked, her voice shaking, “I knew you blamed me for her death, but you kept denying it, Why would I hurt Lucy?” She added, tears streaming down her face. My mind was reeling with different thoughts. Cass never told me she knew the previous surrogate that died and finding out now. Could it be that…..No!! Cassandra wouldn’t. She is kind-hearted, and Zayn was only thinking this way because of the hatred he had for her. “You claim you have always wanted to made amends but the last time you came here was when Lucy was pregnant, and now you are back claiming to want to make amends with me, I know your tricks Cassandra”. My gaze flickered to Cassandra, and coincidentally, she also did. Her eyes were teary, and I could feel my heart racing, the only question in my mind was, “Was she also part of the persons who wanted my baby dead?” “You know what I’m done! This is the height of this, Zayn” She blurted out, her voice lou
AVA'S POV.I remained calm, as I digested the information, there was a lot going on in this family. Here I was thinking he cared about Sophia and Zayn’s relationship not knowing he has something crucial to gain if I had left. Cassandra nudged me slightly, “I don’t want you to overthink this. I just shared this information with you so that you would know that everything is not as it seems”.“But why?” I interpreted, “Why so much hatred in this family? Did something happen?”There had to be a reason why none of them were close, they all seemed like enemies forced to be in a family.. Casandra heaved a sigh, “It’s a lot and I can’t begin to explain, you won’t even understand” She replied, her voice low and soft.“It's like spiderwebs, weaving in and out of each other. They're all tracing back to one root, but you can't even find it. It's a tangled mess. And our family is just that. We've been complicated from the onset. And it's not just something that started with us. We were born int
AVA'S POV.“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your offer”. Andrew glared at me, his face turning into a scowl, “Why?!” He asked, his voice rising, “Why are you hell-bent on destroying this beautiful relationship?”The way he switched up from calm to anger was shocking, “I can’t leave yet, Zayn and I have built a friendship over the months and I know how important this baby is to him. I’ll leave after delivering the baby.” “You’re willing to give your baby to a man who forced you here and stole all your rights just to bear his heir? I never knew you to be this stupid, Ava”.I stood up, “You never knew me in the first place, I believe this conversation is over and…” He cut in, “Don’t you fear for your life?” he asked a sinister expression on his face and I felt a shiver run down my spine, “Have you forgotten how the other surrogate died? She was killed!”“If this is meant to scare me, I’m sorry to disappoint, but it doesn’t. He promised to protect me and I believe him”. I replied, my voi
AVA I entered my room, making sure to lock the door before letting out a deep breath. My mind was reeling with so many things, most especially—Zayn’s touch. I plopped down on my bed, closing my eyes as I reminisced the moment. He had a way of making someone want him badly, my hands trailed down my laps and I parted them open slowly, I just needed to release the tension building inside me. I felt a flutter in my chest and a growing warmth between my legs, Zayn’s image filled my mind as I found myself slipping my fingers into my core My breathed hitched as I continued starting slowly, my mind filled with thoughts of Zayn lips, his touch, his hands. My legs trembled as I increased the pace, a low moan escaping from my lips. I slipped three fingers in as the image of the night we had sex flashed through—I envisioned his lips sucking me down there, and my body arched, yearning for his touch. It was wrong—I shouldn’t be doing this….yet I couldn’t stop. The pleasure was intoxicati
AVA'S POV.I groggily walked down the stairs, my body heavy with fatigue. After the argument with Zayn, Sleeping had been very difficult, and waking up with morning sickness and joint pains was something I was dreading. Every day into the pregnancy seemed to come with new challenges. Sophia’s loud laughters could be heard, and I made a silent wish hoping she wasn’t on the dining table, but I guess it was too late—I reached the foot of the stairs and sitting on the dining table was Zayn alongside Sophia. A sad smile found its way to my face, she looked so happy that he was finally giving her his attention.I couldn’t interrupt them…. That’s what I kept saying to myself, but deep down, my heart was torn apart. My stomach gave a low rumble and I heaved a deep breath before walking down to the dining area, only to stop for a second time. There was Sophia, her eyes lit in delight, as she ran her hands through his hair.“What did you do to it? It's softer. No lies,” she laughed, and t
AVARunning….Panting….Screaming….The only sound pounding in my ears was my raging heartbeat, and harsh ragged breathing, as I ran blindly down a cold dark street. ‘Damn it! Damn you!’ I screamed, my hair pouring over my face drenched in sweat, as I turned down a corner in an abandoned alley. My limbs were shaking. In fact, it felt like I'd fall and shatter like a bag of broken bones. Sweat was pouring out every hole on my skin, and my head was jumbled with mad thoughts. Stones cut into my bare feet as they stretched as wide as they could go, propelling me forward dangerously, ‘Anyone! HELP!’‘Ava.’ His voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, ‘You can't run,’Ethan. He was in the distance before me when I'd actually been running from him. How?The shadows covered his face, but I could see his long smile, curving wickedly, and in his hands was a knife.I turned, racing backwards, as I curved into another dark corner, backing into the wall where I fell into a
AVAI stood up abruptly without saying a word and walked out, ignoring Cassandra calls as I headed straight to the parking lot.I opened the car settling in, My head was racing with different possibilities on how Ethan was able to know my location, two times.Was it my phone? Did he perhaps put a tracker on it? I checked quickly, but couldn’t find anything.“What happened? You just rushed out”. Cassandra asked, entering the car, and I turned to face her, “How did he know?!” I snarled, my lips trembling, “He’s stalking me, no way it was a coincidence”.My heart was racing, and I was—struggling, I couldn’t breathe properly!“Calm down, Ava!” She interrupted patting my back, but I couldn’t, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, do you know, Ethan? Make me understand”.“How was he able to know my location?” I replied, my voice sharp, “That freak has been sending me creepy messages, and now he dares show his face, lying that he doesn’t know me!”Cassandra’s expression changed fr
Unknown POV “Why is it taking this long? The previous one wasn’t like this, so what’s happening?” I snarled, my eyes blazing with anger. “You have one fucking job, and you can’t deliver!”“I apologize for the delay, it’s more difficult because of the lady, she tends to be more careful and somehow manages to bypass all my traps”.“Then create more!” I yelled, rising from my chair, “Why then are we paying you? Or do you have a better plan on how to achieve this?” I asked the maid we had planted in Zayn's house. “I have tried, but she’s not eating the meals and when she does, nothing happens, it’s either we change the poison or wait until the child is born, and then we eliminate”.“No! Never! We can’t take the risk of waiting until she gives birth, we have to do it now that the child is still in the womb”.I paced around the room, thinking of possible ideas to achieve this when the maid chipped in, “Perhaps we could go ahead with the second plan, getting a stronger poison, I’m sure th