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. “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
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“You spent everything?!” I exclaimed, my voice rising as my hungover husband stumbled into our room and onto the bed.It was 6am, but I hadn’t been able to sleep since I found out that he had closed our joint account on the count of bankruptcy.Ethan groggily lifted his head, his bloodshot eyes squinting at me. “Keep it down, woman,” he groaned, his voice rusty before he gulped down the hungover drink I made him.What a joke? I wasn’t even going to talk about the fact that he was coming in by this time.Tossing a pillow over his face, he muffled, “My head is killing me, just let me sleep this off, okay?"I was shaking in anger as I re-read the paper on my hand, “Ethan, our joint account is empty, and you want to do what? Sleep it off?”“I’m pregnant! I’m with child, and we have nothing but this house? What happened to our savings! What happened to…”“That’s enough woman, you wanted this and not me, so please don’t just start! I fucking lost an investment and all I want to do
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, m
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
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