Dearest Readers; Your comments are very much appreciated and I also wanted to hear your thoughts about the poison situation, who do you think is responsible?
ZAYN’S POV The sound of her screams were loud and echoed through the hallways, but I couldn’t find her. “Ava!” I yelled, my heart racing with fear as I opened all the rooms once again, “Where are you?!” She didn’t respond, and I could hear her soft whimpers. My head was spinning as I couldn’t understand what was going on. “Zayn….please…” her voice trailed off, and I ran outside only to find myself submerged inside water. And Ava….was struggling to swim. The water was so deep and the current too strong as I struggled to swim forward. It was like I couldn’t move, no matter how I tried, and her screams were getting worse as she struggled to stay afloat. I kept trying to move forward, desperate to save her, but I felt someone pulling me back, “Get away from me!” I yelled, but the person didn’t bulge. My eyes were fixated on Ava as I tried breaking free from the person’s hold, “Take care of the baby, I love you” She muttered, trying to keep her eyes open. And then it h
ZAYN Ava's eyes widened in shock as colour drained out of her face, she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. “Why?” I asked, trying to sound calm despite the turmoil brewing inside, “Why would you hide such from me?” She swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as she made sure not to meet my gaze, No words. She was so silent and it was killing me inside, I wanted to know why she would hide such vital information from me. I was already overthinking and I needed her to speak! “Say something already!” I said, my voice rising, “Didn’t you think I should know or perhaps this….our relationship means nothing to you?” She raised her head, her eyes meeting mine and they held an emotion I couldn’t decipher, “Zayn…I know you’re hurt but can we talk about this at home…somewhere private and—” “No!” I cut in sharply, “We are having this conversation now, Ava. Why won’t you tell me that we were having triplets!” She adjusted herself on the bed and hesitated a bit befor
AVA He left…. No, I chased him with my words. My chest tightened as tears streamed down my face. I felt empty as the ache in my chest doubled. The silence that followed after him was suffocating and what haunted me most was the look in his eyes before he left— It was like I stabbed a knife into his chest. I have never felt this way before, he managed to sneak into my heart and I tried all my best to ignore whatever it is that I was feeling, but I couldn’t. I loved him….so much, more than myself, but why did I keep hurting him? Perhaps I was too scared… He had shown me a different type of love, and it felt too real to be true. I kept having doubts, ‘What if he changes like Ethan?’ And I failed to realize the more I kept overthinking the more I took wrongful decisions and hurt him repeatedly. I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if I handled things differently—If I’d stopped pushing him away, told him about the triplets earlier, or chosen my words ri
AVA I immediately rested my head on the table in fright, ignoring whatever that was happening around me. The only thing that kept resounding in my ears was that sound—A gunshot.“Ma’am,” Carter called out, shaking me slightly, but I refused to raise my head, my heart was racing with fear, “Ava!” He yelled this time around, but I didn't flinch.“It’s just a busted tire, you’re drawing attention,” Carter added, his voice now low.A busted tire? No, I’m certain I heard….. And that was when it occurred to me that I didn't see any gun, I’d only heard a sound and thought it was a gunshot.I raised my head slowly from the table to see almost everyone in the shop’s eyes on me, as they whispered audibly. Carter was right, it was just a busted tire and my paranoia had gotten the better part of me. He looked at me, his expression laced with concern, “What happened?” I ignored his question, my eyes scanning the room in search of the hooded lady, but she was nowhere to be found. My phone beep
AVA I froze for a moment, blinking rapidly. I didn’t hear him clearly, did I? A smile crept on my face, the answer was definitely a ‘YES’ but I needed to make sure he was in his right senses and wasn’t drunk. I raised my head up to meet his gaze, only to notice he had drifted off to sleep. He looked so beautiful while he slept. My fingers tracing the contours of his face and for a moment, I let myself believe this could be my happy ending, but— The smile on my face soon dropped to a frown as I recalled what happened earlier. I had been so focused on Zayn that I forgot about the threats, I had so many questions, one of which was, WHO COULD BE BEHIND THE MESSAGES? As I thought about it, my mind began to wander to the people around me. My Instincts were screaming at one person—Sophia, but suspecting her came with a lot of questions, why would she stalk me when we lived in the same house? And sending threats—it didn’t sound like her, Sophia was always outspoken, so thr
AVA “What’s going on here?!” Zayn questioned again, his voice firm and sharp. I stepped backwards, creating distance between Carter and I before looking up to Zayn, “Actually, we were….” “Ms Ava had a bit of distress and I thought to help her out, an insect happened to enter her eye,” Carter cut in, a stoic expression on his face. Zayn cleared his throat loudly, and I walked to where he stood, “Yes, he helped me get something out of my eye, are you done with the call?” I lied, I know I shouldn’t, but how was I supposed to tell Zayn what Carter had just said? Zayn's gaze flickered to Carter before returning to mine, “Yeah, no more calls for today. What have you shopped so far?”. I heaved a deep breath. Although he didn’t look convinced, but at least we could move past this. The store was multipurpose, so everything we needed was in stock. After minutes of roaming around, picking different items, we were finally through with shopping, Zayn paid and we headed home.
ZAYN I watched her leave. Of all times this piece of shit to show up it had to be now! This wasn’t how I planned to confront Sophia, this wasn’t the fucking plan! Ava…. I’d hurt her yet again, seeing her tear up broke my heart into a million pieces. But I had no choice— we needed a location— The private investigator I hired has been on my neck all day—The plan was supposed to be me catching then red-handed, but all efforts to find their private home was abortive, and so he suggested I propose to Sophia, she would want to relate it to Andrew, and then we can get their location. I was supposed to inform Ava this night before anything, but seeing Sophia lie and try to guilt—trip me when she had three kids for my uncle disgusted me to the core, and it seemed like the perfect time—the only regret was that I hurt the one I loved. Sophia broke away from the hug, a smile formed on her face, “This feels unreal, baby. Never would I have thought this was your plan a
AVA I froze, still unsure of what I had just heard, “What did you just say?” I questioned, turning to face him. “Sophia is sleeping with my uncle,” What?! How is that possible? “Then when did you…” “I found out the day we fought at the hospital, not only is she sleeping with my uncle, she is married to him, and they have three kids,” Fucking hell! This revelation was mind-blowing…. How did no one suspect? I mean….my mind drifted off to when I saw them sitting at the sitting room the other time, There were signs! “Ava, I know I have hurt you multiple times but this—none of what I said was true,” Zayn continued, now walking to where I stood. “Don’t come any closer,” I said, my voice low and calm, and he paused, “I tried giving you a sign, I winked multiple times and I know that wasn’t enough but—”. “But what Zayn? You should have told me!” I interrupted him, “At least beforehand, we were together all day, and you didn’t say a word, how did you expect me to fe
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