“Are we having a party here or what?” Avery asked, looking over at his family as they stared at him. He caught Zoe and Mia’s sigh of relief before looking over to meet Zoe’s gaze. He knew his mother and brother must have given her hell for giving him alcohol and he still wasn’t sure why she did that either. But he was grateful she had been willing to help.To apologize for the crazy night she must have been through, he walked over and gave her a peck on the cheek, one that surprised the hell out of her.“Well, good morning for a start.” Felicity said to her son, eyeing him and he gave her a little smile.“Good morning, mum.” He answered. “What were the both of you thinking last night?” She asked.“Nothing.” He replied with an unconcerned tone and then continued to look at his wife. “Zoe was only trying to help relieve the stressful day I had gone through.”“Yeah of course.” Aaron said to him, shaking his head. “The both of you really deserve eachother, dumb and dumber.”Avery gave hi
The look on Avery’s face made her smile as his ex-girlfriend walked into the office. She was gorgeous in her black sweat pants and top and just by looking at her, Zoe was able to tell the type of women Avery was used to dating.Gorgeous and popular women.Zoe turned back to Jasmine as the latter walked closer to them. She could feel Jasmine’s suspicious eyes on her and couldn’t do anything to hide her smile. The only reason she came to the company was to find out what Michael meant when he said Avery married her for a purpose because she couldn’t stop thinking about it. But Jasmine coming in was sure going to add some spice to her morning.“I saw you in the pictures.” Jasmine said, throwing her purse on the bed. “You were with him in the party.”Zoe smiled at her intelligence. One thing she used to be popular for was being arrogant and cocky and she sure knew she and Jasmine weren’t going to be friends.Jasmine shifted to meet Avery. “You really married her?”“Leave, Jasmine.” He said
“What?” Zoe exclaimed, not knowing which she was most surprised by. What her mother had said or the fact that she felt good about saying it. “Who was in love with you?”“Her husband.” She replied still wearing the proud look on her face.“How did you know that?” Zoe asked. “Were you also in love with him?”“Of course not.” She answered immediately with a guilty look on her face. “Why would I be in love with a married man?”Zoe nodded her head, still studying her. There was still more to be told because of the look in her eyes and she would try her best to play around it so she wouldn’t come off as being too inquisitive.“So, they were already married before you noticed her husband was in love with you?”“Yes. In fact, we were all married. I noticed for the first time during a business dinner that he was throwing looks at me. Donald was a very handsome man so I felt flattered.”“Flattered?” Zoe asked. “Even as married woman, you were flattered that another married man was throwing look
Avery rubbed his palms together while she waited for a response. He didn’t know why she was asking him that but he sure as hell wasn’t going to defer from giving her an answer. Any answer at all.“What are you asking, Zoe?” He asked, eyes on hers. “What are you really asking?”“You do not want to answer the question?"“What is the question?”“Are you still in love with Jasmine?” She clarified boldly and he relaxed on his chair, eyes still on her. He was surprised that she was asking him that. Surprised about how she asked the question. Like she really wanted to know what it is he was feeling.“I don’t know.” He replied. “But every time I look at you, I want to kiss you. Every time I look at you, I want to touch every part of your body and make you shiver at my touch.”Zoe swallowed hard at the statement as she felt her cheeks becoming red. That was a very honest answer that she had not been expecting.“You are breathtaking, Zoe. I’m sure you have been told that before.” Avery continue
Avery watched as the hospital staff wheeled his sister and her driver into the hospital. She had been hurt but not as much as her driver. Wherever the car that collided with them had come from, he had no idea, but the car zoomed off in the blink of an eye and left them to deal with their mess. The car had hit the driver’s side and he wasn’t sure David, Mia’s driver was going to make it.Avery walked inside, grateful that the hospital administration had taken them in through the VIP entrance. At least it would stop them from being seen by onlookers in the hospital even though much couldn’t be done at the accident scene.Avery picked up his phone and dialed Jacob’s number and the latter picked up on the fourth ring, a hint of frustration in his voice.“Where are you?” was the first sentence out of Jacob’s mouth. Avery took three breaths to steady himself as he paced the lobby while waiting for his family to come.“Mia was in an accident Jacob.” He answered. There was silence on the othe
“Calm down, Mia.” Avery said to her but she stared daggers at him. So, he thought twice about going near her in order not to meet something worse than a flying vase.“You think I have not been aware of the whispering that has been going on between all of you?” She asked, this time around allowing Aaron share in her deadly stares. “You are doing dangerous things and putting our lives in danger?”“What the hell are you talking about, Mia. That was an accident.” Aaron argued.“Was it?” She snapped at him before turning back to look at Avery who stared at her, worried that she might not be as naïve and thoughtless as he might have made her to be. “Was that an accident, Avery?”He cleared his throat before speaking, knowing fully well that he needed to thread with care. She just lost her driver. Her driver who has been driving her around since she was a child, someone she shared a lot with. Right now, she was very sensitive.“It was an accident, Mia. You saw what happened. The car came out
“I can handle it, Avery.” Zoe replied immediately. The tone in his voice as he asked the question had scared her, but she wanted to know everything there was to know.“You are just saying that because you are curious.” He replied, closing his tablet.“Avery, you have to tell me.”“Well, it’s nothing.” He said. “I have to get to the company. Stay with Mia until I come get you.”Zoe rolled her eyes at him while he stood up and left. He had been serious when he asked if she could handle the truth, meaning that there was indeed something he was hiding and she needed to find out about it.Quickly, she finished her coffee and headed over to Mia’s room. Thankfully the teenager was alone, surfing through television channels. Zoe walked straight to her and took the couch provided beside her.Mia kept groaning and moving from one channel to the other with the television remote. When she couldn’t find anything suitable to watch, she turned the television off.“Nothing in the whole freaking telev
“You knew that I was married before?” Zoe asked him again.“Zoe?” Avery called to pacify her.“You knew about Francis and you pretended all this while?”“It wasn’t any of my business.” Avery tried to explain to her but she was not interested in any of it. He knew about Francis and she had been keeping it to herself all this while.“Did my mother tell you? Was it also included in your little discussion with her before you met me?” She asked, staring daggers at him and he shook his head immediately.“Then how the hell did you find out?” she asked coldly.Avery sighed and turned away from her. She watched him unbutton his shirt, pulling it out of his trousers. “Let’s just say I have my ways, Zoe.”“You have your ways? What else do you know about me?” She asked furious all over again. “What else have you secretly leant about me that I do not know?”“It is not a big deal, Zoe. You kept it probably because you didn’t want anybody else to learn about it. It is fine.”“It is not fine, damn it
Zoe went round the little church Avery had picked for them in her simple floral white dress. She had pleaded with him that she didn’t want anything extravagant so he had done his best to get something small in the province close to their vacation home in Maples.Everything was finally going on well with her life. She and Avery were now in a place that she could never have imagined and they were going through life together. Sometimes he sends Aaron messages, to assure him that they were still brothers, but as usual, Aaron ignores them. As a couple, the both of them had visited Francis’s grave together in Maples, bringing him flowers and she had assured Francis that she forgave him for the lies and deceit while they were together.Zoe continued to look at the statue and altar in the catholic church where Avery had agreed they got married because he wanted everything to her taste. She was grateful for him and knew for sure that the both of them were going to have a good life together.“Z
‘I need you home right now’ kept resonating in Avery’s mind even as he dropped the call. He looked at Jacob who was busy surfing through the media, looking for ways to savage the remaining reputation that they had left.“Zoe said she needs me home.” Avery said to Jacob and the latter lifted up his head to attend to him. Avery stood up from his work chair and began to roam around the space between his work table and the window.“She needs you home can mean so many things, Avery.” Jacob said, watching him keenly. “What are you getting worried about?”“She needs me home could also mean that she is tired of the life I am leading with her and wants an out.” Avery responded, watching Jacob who sighed.“If she wants an out, then you have to let her go.”Avery shook his head immediately, knotting his tie that he had loosened when he had been working. When he put on his suit, he turned back to face Jacob.“I cannot live without her, Jacob.” He said. “I have to let her know that I cannot live w
Zoe woke up in the morning to an empty bed. She yawned weakly and rolled off her side of the bed, wondering where the hell Avery had gone to so early. The wall clock in her room read twenty minutes past eight which meant he was supposed to still be in the house.She searched the bathroom and the closet but he was nowhere to be found so she made her way down the stairs. The maids she met on her way greeted her differently and with pity as if they knew exactly what she had been through for the past two days. In the dining room, Kara brought a cup of coffee to her which she accepted with gladness in her heart. Finally, she was in the comfort of her home and could eat anything she liked. That wasn’t possible when she was at the mercy of Aaron.Zoe sipped her coffee, watching Kara who was looking at her with keen eyes. She smiled when she lifted the coffee from her lips at the young girl.“Did you miss me?” She asked, making her blush. “Where is Avery by the way? Have you seen him this mo
Avery held Zoe outside the warehouse as Aaron and his crew were being taken into the police van. His fear had known no bounds while driving to save his wife and that was when he realized that he couldn’t live without Zoe. Jacob was right all along. Aaron, his brother had gotten out of hand and the best thing to do to make sure that he doesn’t do more damage is to put him behind bars.He continued to rub Zoe’s shoulders, kissing her temple when Aaron was brought to stand before the both of them in handcuffs. There was a sorry look on his face but Avery was determined not to be swayed by it.“Avery.” Aaron called, trying to meet his gaze. “You are not going to allow them take me to prison, right?” He asked with a shaky voice.Avery scoffed, finally looking him straight into the eye. “Why wouldn’t I allow them take you to prison?” He asked. “You are a criminal and a murderer. People like you deserve to be in jail.”“Come on, Avery.” Aaron called. “Remember our family name is going to be
Zoe laid still on the cold ground completely ignoring the bed Aaron had asked his people to provide for her the previous day. The room was dark but she was staring at the ceiling, wondering how long it would actually take for Avery to forget her just like Aaron had threatened. That was the only thing keeping her alive at the moment because he had promised to kill her when Avery forgets she existed.She remained still in the dark even when the door opened but squinted when the light on the ceiling was turned on directly above her. Aaron walked up to where she was and looked at her but she ignored him.“Just a little while now, Zoe.” He said, drawing the chair close to him and taking a seat on it. “I was at the house yesterday and Avery is still looking frantically for you. Just a little while now before he forgets about you completely.”Zoe scoffed arrogantly at him, her eyes still focused on the ceiling which she could see clearly now all thanks to the light in the room. His words ind
Avery’s head of security was the only one watching the security cameras and he sat up when he saw Avery walk in.“You had just one job.” Avery said, trying not to scream at the top of his lungs. “You had just one job and that was to make sure you kept her safe.”“Mr. Trent, what…” Daniel stammered.“You were supposed to keep her safe and watch her at every time, what the hell were you doing when she left the house?” Avery continued without giving him time to talk.“Your wife went out in a hurry and we tried to follow her, but she was able to escape the cars.” Daniel spoke“What the hell does that even mean?” Avery screamed this time around. “What the hell is your job if she could disappear out from your sight?”“Mr. Trent, she said you knew where she was heading to.” Daniel said, trying to defend himself. “She told us she had your permission to leave the house and we couldn’t argue with that. She is your wife.”“Don’t you dare remind me what she is because I think I am very well aware
Avery shut his work laptop closed and headed out of the office. He had had quite a tedious day and wished nothing but to go home and be in the presence of his wife whether she hated him or not. At least anytime he was with Zoe, a lot of thoughts is being blocked from his head. The only thing she worries him about is Aaron but with that at least, there was a way to maneuver it. He just had to seduce her and she would forget totally about Aaron.Thinking about it now, it had been very long since he seduced Zoe and suddenly, he couldn’t wait to get home. Charlotte knocked on his office door and when he gave her leave to enter, she stuck her head and part of her shoulder in. He saw the strap of her handbag on her shoulders and could tell she too was about to leave.“Do you need anything else sir?” Charlotte asked and he shook his head immediately.“Nothing.” He replied. “You can go home Charlotte. Drive carefully.”She bowed at him and closed the door quietly behind her. Avery on the othe
Zoe tilted her head to watch Aaron and the look on his face carefully. Of course, it was him. She thought, sighing with distress. But why had she not thought about it and why the hell would he kidnap her when Avery had warned him not to come anywhere near her? She clenched her fists in anger, hating that he was two steps ahead of her just when she had thought she had the perfect opportunity to get him the punishment he finally deserved.“You keep on surprising me, Aaron.” She said, trying her best to keep herself calm. “You surprise me every single time.”“Of course, Zoe.” He replied, taking off his suit. “I am full of surprises, am I not?”The man who had brought her the glass of water, came in with a wooden chair for Aaron to sit on and he took the seat from him.“Do you not need me, boss?” The weird looking man asked and Aaron shook his head after giving his suit to him.“I don’t.” Aaron replied, smiling. “I will just have a little fun with my sister-in-law here and be on my way.”
Zoe relaxed on her seat and crossed her legs again. There was a certain thing she was feeling that she could barely understand. Yes, Aaron had confessed to killing Francis and she had it on her recorder. Then, why wasn’t she on her way to delivering it to the police together with the pictures Amelia had given her? Why was the satisfaction that he was going to surely be behind bars suddenly feeling bittersweet? Was it because she wasn’t sure how Avery would react to it? Or because she was scared Avery would no longer want her in his life if she puts his brother behind bars.The fact that Avery had become such an important part of her life up to the point that she thought about him before making her decision surprised her so much. She just wanted everything to be settled so that the both of them could savage the remaining aspects of their lives and live safely together. Was that the reason why she was stalling?“Did you just confess to murder?” She asked Aaron, who arrogantly shrugged h