AVA'S POV Kevin’s birthday party felt like the last place I should be. I didn’t want to go. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor, my hands gripping the fabric of my dress. My stomach twisted, a sick feeling rising inside me. The thought of being around people, smiling, pretending everything was fine it felt impossible. Because everything was not fine. I had lost my baby. And I knew who took it from me. Laura. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to push the image of her away, but I couldn’t. Her smirk, her mocking voice, the way she looked at me like she had won… it haunted me every night. She knew what she had done, and she was proud of it. I had told Sally everything. Every single thing after I came back from Jason’s house that day in tears. “She killed my baby,” I whispered, breaking down in her arms. Sally had been furious. She wanted to go after Laura, to tear her apart. But I grabbed her wrist, shaking my head. “No, Sally,” I said firmly, wiping my tears with
AVA'S POV My whole body froze, my fingers clenched so tight around my drink that I thought the glass might shatter. I had told myself I was prepared to see them again someday. But not tonight. Not when Kevin had promised me they wouldn’t be here. Sally noticed them at the same time I did. “What the..." she started, her voice rising in anger. She turned to me, her eyes flashing. “Ava, I swear, I will drag that woman out of here myself.” She was already moving, ready to storm toward Laura, but I caught her arm. “Sally, no,” I said, my voice low but firm. She snapped her head toward me. “Ava, don’t do this. You know I won’t let her stay here. She has no right to be here when she wasn't even invited by Kevin." I swallowed, my throat dry as sandpaper. My whole body was shaking with rage, but I tightened my grip on Sally’s arm. “You promised me,” I reminded her, my voice barely above a whisper. Sally’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, she looked like she might ignore me. B
AVA'S POVThe moment my body hit the water, everything became a blur. Cold. That was the first thing I felt. The shock of it stole the breath from my lungs, and for a second, I couldn’t move. My dress became heavy, dragging me down, and my arms flailed as I fought to stay afloat. I could hear muffled shouting above me, but the water swallowed the sound, making everything feel distant. Then strong arms wrapped around me. I was being pulled upward, my head breaking the surface. I gasped, sucking in the air like I had been drowning for hours. Water dripped from my hair into my eyes, blurring my vision, but I didn’t need to see to know who had saved me. “Got you,” Alex’s voice was close, his grip firm as he pulled me toward the edge of the pool. At the same time, I heard another splash. Through my dazed state, I realized Jason had jumped in, too. But he wasn’t reaching for me. He was pulling Laura out. Of course. Alex lifted me effortlessly, guiding me to the pool’s ed
JASON'S POV I stormed down the hallway, my blood boiling. I couldn’t believe what just happened. Couldn’t believe that Ava had pulled Laura into the pool with her. Laura was pregnant. Pregnant. And Ava still had the heart to do such. I shoved the guest room door open without knocking. Ava was sitting on the bed, wrapped in a towel, her wet hair sticking to her face. Alex stood near her, his arms crossed like he was ready to play hero again. Kevin had dragged Sally out the second I walked in. “What the hell is wrong with you, Ava?” My voice came out sharp, cutting through the tense air. “Laura is pregnant, and you still had to drag her into your mess?” Ava lifted her head slowly, her expression one of surprise. Then, she let out a cold laugh. “My mess?” “Yes, your mess!” I snapped. “You couldn’t just walk away, could you? You had to make a scene like you always do.” Her eyes darkened. “You weren’t there, Jason. You didn’t hear what she said to me.” “I don’t care wha
ALEX'S POV Jason’s words made my blood boil. I had been standing there, trying to stay calm, trying to hold myself back, but the way he was blaming Ava like she was the villain in all this was too much. Laura was the one who had started this. Laura was the one who grabbed Ava first, who pushed and annoyed her until she got the reaction she wanted. But Jason couldn’t see that. He was too blind, too caught up in whatever web of lies Laura had spun around him. And now, after everything Ava had been through, he was here, pointing fingers at her. I clenched my fists tightly my fingers digging deep into my palm. How could he not see it? How could he not realize what was happening? Laura played the victim so well. She cried she acted helpless, and Jason fell for it every time. Meanwhile, Ava...who had already lost so much even her unborn child was standing here, trying to hold herself together while Jason tore her down. It made me sick. It made me furious. I just couldn't st
AVA'S POV The silence after my words felt like a knife cutting through the air. Jason just stood there, frozen, his eyes widened in shock. For the first time since he entered the room, he had nothing to say. No anger. No accusations. Just silence. I should have felt satisfied. I should have felt victorious after finally throwing the truth in his face. But all I felt was pain. My hands were shaking. My heart was pounding. My entire body felt like it was on fire. I had held this in for months. I had swallowed my grief, my anger, my suffering. I had let Jason treat me like I was nothing while he ran to Laura every time she called. I clenched my fists, trying to keep myself together, but the tears came anyway. It was hot, angry, and unstoppable. “You want to know what kind of woman I am, Jason?” My voice cracked as I stepped closer, my whole body trembling. “I’m the kind of woman who cries alone at night, holding my stomach, praying for our baby to be okay.” “The kind of woman wh
JASON'S POV The slam of the door echoed through the room, leaving behind a silence that was suffocating. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. My whole body went cold. I just stood there, staring at the closed door, my mind refusing to process what had just happened. Ava had been pregnant. She was pregnant with our child… and I didn’t know. She lost our child because of me? My legs felt weak, and I stumbled back, gripping the edge of the desk for support. My chest tightened, and a sharp pain spread through me like a knife was slicing through my ribs. My breath came out in short, uneven gasps as the weight of the truth crushed me. This couldn’t be real. Maybe I was dreaming. Maybe this was some kind of twisted nightmare. But it wasn’t. My stomach twisted. I felt sick. I felt like the ground had been ripped from under me. My baby… We had a baby. And now… I lost my baby before even knowing of his existence. And I was here, accusing his mother of cheating on me with Ale
AVA'S POV I walked out of that room, my chest heaving, and my heart was heavy. The moment the door slammed behind me, it felt like I had left a piece of myself in there. I should have felt relief, but all I felt was emptiness. The hallway was quiet, but my mind was loud. Jason’s broken voice echoed in my head – his plea for me to stay. But it was too late. Too late for him to ask me not to go, too late for him to realize what he had lost. I didn’t want to go back to the party. I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready to see people laughing, drinking, and acting like the world wasn’t crashing down on me. My legs felt weak, my body trembling with exhaustion. The pain in my chest was unbearable. I needed air, I needed to get away. I turned away from the direction of the pool and started walking toward the garden. I had been here before so I knew my way around. With every step, my vision blurred, my legs dragging as if they weighed a thousand pounds. My breathing felt heavy like there wasn’t
AVA'S POV It had been hours since that email came in, and I still couldn’t stop smiling. Not even a little. Vogue. Freaking Vogue. Every time I thought about it, my cheeks hurt a little more from grinning like an idiot. I should’ve been tired. I should’ve curled up and napped or maybe done something productive. But I didn’t want the moment to pass without doing something with it. And then it hit me – Emma. I hadn’t picked her up from school in a while. Rose usually handled it with her usual grace and mom's energy, but today… I wanted to do it myself. I tossed on some jeans and a soft cream knit sweater – something simple but still presentable. The weather was light enough for flats, and my hair was still air-dried from the bath earlier, tucked behind my ears. I didn’t even bother with makeup. Just lip balm and a little smile I couldn’t get rid of. The school wasn’t far, and traffic wasn’t terrible for once. When I got there and stepped out of the car, I scanned the small crowd
JASON’S POVThe moment they all noticed my presence, chairs pushed back and everyone stood up fast like soldiers waiting for orders. No one said a word. The air felt heavy, like the tension had soaked into the walls and the only sound heard was the low hum of the AC above.I looked around the table every face tight with nerves. Some tried to look busy. Some looked right at me. But when my eyes landed on Laura again, she looked away fast, pretending to focus on her notepad.I walked straight to the head of the table, pulled out my chair, and sat down. Everyone else followed. Laura was the last to sit. She moved slowly like her body knew what was coming even if she hadn’t admitted it to herself yet.I opened the folder in front of me and flipped a few pages. The sound echoed in the silence. No one dared speak. I didn’t rush. I let the quiet stretch. Let it press on everyone’s shoulders a little more. A few people glanced at each other. I caught Steph glancing toward Ben. Laura’s fingers
JASON’S POVI ended the call and tossed the phone on my desk. It landed with a loud thud. Steph and Ben stood there like statues like they were too scared to even blink. The room was thick with silence, and I could feel their eyes on me, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. “Steph, you can go,” I said, not even looking at her. She hesitated. “Uh… sir, my phone?” I looked down and realized I was still holding it. I picked it up from the desk and handed it to her without a word. She grabbed it and practically sprinted out of the office. I didn’t blame her. I could be very scary when I am angry. Ben shifted a little like he wasn’t sure if it was safe to speak. “Should I still gather the design team?” he asked quietly. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the wall for a second. I let out a slow breath, trying to cool the anger in my chest before I answered. “Push it back one hour.” Ben blinked. “One hour?” “I said one hour. We wait for Laura.” I said, my voice s
JASON’S POV I slammed the tablet on my desk so hard that Ben flinched. “Have you seen this crap?” I barked. Ben shifted awkwardly, standing a little straighter. “Yes, sir. It’s all over the internet.” I dragged a hand down my face, then leaned over the tablet again, jaw clenched. The headline burned into his eyes. I stared at the screen, my fists clenched. Every word in that article made my blood boil. “Storm Management Faces Backlash After Campbell's Group Runway Disaster.” “Campbell Group’s designs labeled uninspired, rushed, and low-quality.” And then the photos. One of Storm's management top models in Milan walked down the runway while the sides of her dress split wide open. I could see the moment on her face – shock, embarrassment, trying to stay professional while the cameras flashed. It was a disaster. A very public one. And my company’s name was all over it. Everyone in the world already knew about it. Beneath that, editorials ripped the collection apart. “Un
AVA’S POV I arrived at the hotel and it was ridiculous. In a good way. Like, over-the-top, velvet-everywhere, fountain-in-the-lobby kind of ridiculous. The kind of place that didn’t just want to impress you – it wanted to slap you in the face with money and say, this is how the other half lives. I’d been in luxury spaces before, obviously, but this one was on a different level. It was the kind of place you don’t just walk into – you glide, like you’re supposed to belong. A sharply dressed concierge met me the moment I walked in, addressed me by name, and immediately led me to the elevator without asking any questions. It was like she knew me already. No waiting, no nonsense. Just pure efficiency wrapped in gold trim. I took a quiet breath as the elevator rose. I don’t know why I was nervous. I shouldn’t have been. This was my world. This was what I did. I have met a lot of important people – she wasn't the first and she wouldn't be the last. Still… I guess something about bei
AVA'S POV TWO DAYS LATER I walked into the office just after seven, coffee in hand and hair properly styled. The city outside was still waking up, but I was already halfway through my to-do list. It felt good to be early – like I had a head start on the day. The tightness in my chest wasn’t there anymore I won't say it was fully gone, but it was looser somehow. Lighter. Maybe it was because the storm had finally calmed down. The interview, the red carpet buzz, Sienna’s support – it all helped. So did the talk with Alex. We’d cleared the air. Things didn’t feel as tense between us anymore, and I could breathe without second-guessing everything I said around him. But of course, there was still one problem. One name that kept showing up on my phone like an itch I couldn’t reach. Jason. He was blowing up my phone with calls, texts, and even voice notes, though I never listened to those. He didn’t stop. Every morning, I’d tell myself, Just block him, Ava. Be done with it. And
AVA’S POV I watched Alex walk into the sitting room. He looked tired like he had a lot on his mind, but he still managed a small smile. I followed him, and we both sat down on the couch. For a few seconds, it was quiet between us. Just the soft hum of the fridge in the kitchen and the voice of a man speaking on the television. Then he turned his head to look at me. “Are you okay?” he asked gently. I blinked. “Yeah… why?” He gave a small shrug. “I don’t know. You’ve just been… different lately.” I tilted my head. “Different how?” I asked, even though I already knew what he meant. “You’re uncomfortable,” he said simply, looking me in the eyes. “With me.” I opened my mouth to deny it, but I hesitated. He looked serious. Like he’d been thinking about this for a while. “I’m not uncomfortable,” I said, even though my voice sounded unsure. “Ava,” he said, his voice soft but steady. “I know you. You can say whatever you want, but I can feel it. You’ve been pulling back ever
ALEX’S POV The second the words left my mouth "Which one?” I knew I’d set something off. But I didn’t care. I was angry. I’d been quietly sitting there, watching Jason and Ava relive their memories like they were the stars of some perfect little love story. Laughing, finishing each other’s sentences. Remembering things that didn’t include me. And it made my heart clench because, after all these years of being close to Ava, we didn’t have anything like that. Not one fun moment. Not one memory that could make a room go quiet. And now Laura – Laura had the nerve to stand there and try to paint Jason as Mason’s father. Right in front of me. The nerve she has. She stiffened. Her fingers twitched around Mason’s juice box. Her lips parted like she had something to say, but no words came out. Everyone just stared. Then, without saying anything, she stood up so fast her chair scraped the ground. “Mason,” she said quickly, forcing a smile as she gathered him up into her arms. “L
AVA’S POV The sun was already warming up the day, so we found a quiet spot near the edge of the park, shaded by tall trees. A few picnic tables were scattered beneath them, and we claimed one. The breeze made the leaves sway, casting shifting shadows across the bench. I sat first, setting Emma down beside me. She wasted no time cracking open her little lunchbox, digging through it like it was a treasure. Her curls, packed into a ponytail, bounced as she hummed a tune, entirely in her own world. I smiled and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. Jason came over with a sandwich in one hand, clearly planning to sit next to me. I didn’t say a word – I just shifted slightly and tapped the bench on the other side of Emma. “Sit here, sweetheart,” I said softly, nudging her toward me. Jason hesitated, sandwich mid-air, then gave this lazy little chuckle like nothing had happened. “Guess I would be standing,” he said. Emma giggled, not catching the subtext. “You can sit o