Sebastian waited in his study for Kim to arrive after speaking with the guard. He had taken a shower and put on a new suit, so he felt a little bit like his old self right now. Looking like a destitute man in his home wouldn’t score him points and if anything, Kim would act on it and try to lie to his face like her sister did. While he was in the shower, he had a lot of time to think about what could’ve brought Kim here and all his thoughts and theories led him to one conclusion, Ava. Logically, that was the only thing binding them together and the only thing they had in common as well so it is only normal that she came here on her behalf. He had this all figured out except for the most important part of it all, What did she want to talk about? Surely, it couldn’t be trying to get him to come back into Ava’s life so it had to be something but it was eluding him right now. If Damian was here, he would’ve helped him figure it out but he chose to run away like some coward leaving h
Sebastian scoffed. “Well, I understand that she’s your sister and by default, you’re naturally inclined to believe everything she’s told you but you don’t need to be blinded by bias and loyalty, not right now when the truth is more important than anything else.”“The truth is why I’m here and that’s what I just told you,” Kim replied, her eyes blazing with fury. “You ruined Ava with your actions and the way you handled this matter poorly and you feel no remorse over your actions and I can’t help but wonder what kind of man you are.”“I’m a man who fights for the truth and if you think you can gaslight me into doing something I don’t want to do, then you have no idea the kind of man that I am.”“You claimed to love Ava but you didn’t hesitate to throw her under the bus as fast as you could.”“Did she tell you about the pictures Jake sent to me? Did she?” “She told me about the pictures and how you believe everything Jake has told you and that wasn’t all she said,”“Did she finally con
“What are the chances that you aren’t lying to my face right now?” Sebastian asked, holding her gaze.“What are the chances that Jake didn’t lie to you either?” Kim retorted.“I saw the pictures he sent and—““So think pictures can’t be altered and photoshops can’t be made by tech professionals, is that what you think?” Kim groaned. For all of his successes, Sebastian was acting like the most stupid person she had ever come across. It was frustrating and annoying at the same time because his myopic approach to this whole situation had escalated into one big mess and the man who started all of these was probably out somewhere enjoying his life and the chaos he had created before absconding into the wind.Sebastian frowned. “Jake wouldn’t dare to play me for a fool because he knows what would happen if I ever find out.” “So your ego is so massive that you think no one on earth can pull a fast one on you?” Kim couldn’t believe her ears. Sebastian opened his mouth to speak but he snapp
“I’ll be waiting for you in the common room,” Damian added. “So whenever you’re done with your discussion, you’ll know where to find me after that.”Damian slammed the door shut leaving Sebastian and Kim in the study once again. Kim studied Sebastian’s face. He didn’t give off a lot but she could tell that the news had unsettled him a great deal, he had lost a bit of his composure and he was muttering to himself under his breath. “I’m guessing that it’s none of my business but is there something going on?” Kim asked. “You look like you might pass out any moment from now and it’s becoming worrying.”Sebastian took a deep breath to calm himself before he lost control in front of Kim. “There’s nothing to worry about.” He began, assuring her with a smile. “It’s uh, it’s something we’ve been working on for a while now and we’ve been expecting the results and it’s finally out.”“Aren’t you meant to be excited if you’ve been expecting the good news?”“Who said it’s good news?” “Oh,” Kim’
Sebastian pushed the door open as he made his way inside the common room. Damian was seated on a chair, tapping his feet impatiently on the hardwood floor. There was an envelope on the table in front of him and Sebastian presumed it to be the letter Damian had been talking about. The tension in the air was thick and stifling as well.“I came as fast as I could,” Sebastian began, closing the door behind him. “Kim can be a hard nut to crack so I had to indulge her for a couple more minutes before sending her on her way.”Damian nodded, turning his gaze towards Sebastian who was staring at the envelope on the table. “A courier delivered it and I intercepted it on the way out as soon as I saw the address on it, I turned back to inform you and I’ve been waiting to know what the contents inside say before I leave.”Sebastian nodded. “Are you still a gambling man, Damian?” “Why do you ask?” Damian was suddenly furious, Sebastian’s eyes were still fixed on the envelope, putting two and two
Ava messed up again, she had promised herself that it wouldn’t be this way after the last time but she was tired of it all. She was supposed to return to the real world in a few days and she didn’t know how to go about it anywhere. She let the razor drop onto the floor and the tears rolled down her cheeks. She wasn't supposed to be like this, she was supposed to be stronger but she also understood that sometimes things weren’t as easy as she thought they would be. But that wasn’t supposed to deter her, she had said it wouldn’t but apparently, some things were meant to be. Sbe turned on the water on the sink, putting her wrists underneath as the water turned red going down the drain. She felt the panic building up inside me but she was struggling to contain it before it grew into a full-blown panic attack that she wouldn’t have any control over. She was the first one awake, it never had happened since Kim, Renee, and Violet came over. She was always the last one awake. Her recent p
Ava couldn’t believe her eyes. She blinked severally, hoping it would only be a nightmare and she would wake up to the real world where the man standing across her would only be a figment of her imagination. She closed her eyes and it fluttered open after a couple of seconds but the man standing in front of her remained. Sebastian was real and he was her in their home. If anything Kim had said was true, Sebastian had come to see her after a month of their separation. “What are— I can’t even begin to…” Ava was lost for words. She didn’t know what to say or how to say it without wanting to scream to hell with everything inside of her.“Ava,” As soon as she heard her name escape between her lips, she lost her cool.“Do not call me that!” Ava yelled. “Do not ever in hell say my name with your mouth, Sebastian.”“I understand that you hurting and it’s justified but I need to talk to you before anything else,” Sebastian replied not giving in to her outbursts. He had expected this to hap
“I can’t do this with you right now, Sebastian,” Ava replied, shaking her head. It was a lot for her to take in and she needed space to breathe and think about a lot of things right now. He needed to leave her alone and come back whenever she was in the right frame of mind to deal with everything he was saying but not now, not while her emotions were running at a high and she had little to no control over it. “I know I don’t deserve to be here not after how I treated you after you fell. Even after I ghosted you and rejected our baby as well.” Sebastian began, as he pleaded his case. He could her given up already and he didn’t want that to happen. If she closes up shop, then everything would be lost for good. Ava laughed dryly but it didn’t quite reach her eyes for obvious reasons. “You now believe the child is yours after calling me a manipulative bitch and a liar as well?”“That was never supposed to happen but I let myself get played and I’m sorry for thinking you would ever ch
One month laterThe wedding had been a splendid affair and from the start, Ava was practically forbidden from lifting a finger for herself by Kim, Renee, Violet, and the flock of servants at her disposal due to how heavy she had become and she resorted to staying put unless she risked the ire of the women helping her dress up. Sebastian had planned a proposal with the rest of their friends leaving her in the dark. It was unexpected and it felt real and different this time around, they had come through so many difficulties and they both knew it was the right time to make it all real this time around.At the stroke of midnight on her wedding, Ava was standing at the entrance of the hall already adorned with palatial decorations with cascading floral arrangements hanging from every side of the grand room, sparkling white chandeliers hung high above with delicate draperies completing the settings designed to evoke an atmosphere filled with love and warmth. A group of violinists was posit
It’s been two months since Sebastian was released from the hospital and Ava moved into the mansion with him. The penthouse held too many hurtful memories and she wasn’t eager to go back there and be plagued by nightmares during her sleep. Jake’s trial hadn’t taken a lot of time either, there was a ton of insurmountable evidence against him and the jury didn’t take much liking to him either, or the judge. In reality, no one was going to take the side of a journalist with murderous intentions over New York’s most desirable couple. Their return to the spotlight had been a field day in the media world especially as articles and gossip about their breakup had been going on for a while now, their appearance together had all but quietened every rumor going on about them. Ava was becoming used to being pregnant and after a few weeks of tedious work down at the agency, she had gone on maternity leave that would run well into a few months after she gave birth.One of her favorite parts of be
Damian looked back and forth between Ava and Sebastian and it was pretty obvious that they had eyes for just each other right now, everything else faded into the background. He didn’t need any further clue, his time here was up.“I believe it’s best I give you both some space to talk things through.” Damian cleared his throat, gave Sebastian a nod, and patted Ava’s shoulders as he walked past her. “Do you think they’re going to be fine?” Violet asked Damian as soon as he got to the door. Sebastian spared them a glance over his shoulder before returning his gaze to Violet. “I can’t possibly say for sure but if what I noticed between them was true then we’ve got nothing to worry about.As soon as Ava heard the door shut behind her, she walked towards the bed, maintaining a friendly distance as she pulled out a chair and sat on it. Sebastian didn’t know how to start tackling their issues so he decided to make small talk first, it always worked for him and he was hoping that it wouldn
Ava made her way outside the building and towards the parking lot, it was lonely, just how she wanted it to be. She didn’t want any disturbance or interference from anyone. All Ava had wanted was for Sebastian to wake up from his coma. She spent days at his bedside, urging him to come back to her and he eventually did but she ran. There was no telling why she ran and she didn’t even have any logical explanation as to why she did it, the only thing she could say is that she was scared shitless and that was all she could say. She would eventually have to go back and talk to him afterward but she didn’t know if she could bring herself to do it. “Hey, sis.” Ava looked up to see Kim walking towards her flanked on either side by Renee and Violet, they all wore worried expressions on their faces and she could tell from their hesitation that they didn’t know if they should come any closer or maintain a healthy distance. “How did you guys find me?” Ava asked, her eyes were fixed to the g
“I’m only trying to look out for you,” Kim sighed. “I’m tired of seeing you crying after a couple of months where you think you’re in love and your troubles are behind you. It hurts me as much as it hurts you, Ava.” “I know,” Ava smiled sadly. Kim was right, she’d always been eager to jump right back into it without putting provisions in place in case her assumed fairytale moment didn’t come to pass. But things were different this time around, she had been through a lot and as a result, she’d been forced to put herself first for now before anyone else and if anything was going to happen, she would be the last person to instigate anything. She’d done enough and it wasn’t going to work, she wasn’t going to invest her time lifting a finger. She’s done enough already. “Things aren’t going to be the way it once was. I promise you that.”“Tell me you’re sure you know what you’re doing?” Kim nibbled on her lower lip. “I can’t promise you I know what I’m doing, Kim. But my heart is in the
“You really should stop feeling this way and making us feel like we’re strangers as well,” Kim frowned. “We’re here because we love and care about you, that’s the truth. You’re part of our lives so I don’t see how you keep interfering in what you’re a major part of. You’ve got to accept that so you’d stop feeling like you owe us something because you don’t.”Ava sighed. “Okay, you’re right and I’m sorry for feeling this way. It’s unusual to see a lot of people wanting to help me at the same time and that’s why I reacted that way,” “It’s okay, we don’t hold it against you. We know your past and how you’re still getting used to a couple of good gestures. Kim suffers from the same problem as well.” Violet assured her. “So, you mentioned that Sebastian woke up a while ago?” Kim asked, eager to steer the conversation away from their childhood. She wasn’t prepared to visit memories that she had worked so hard to repress. “Yes, he did. He wasn’t a hundred percent conscious and the doctors
Ava walked back into the hospital room as soon as the doctor mentioned it was okay for her to return. She walked back into the room to see Sebastian soundly asleep. “Is everything alright, doctor?” Ava sounded worried. “Did he go to sleep on his own or did he pass out?”“We gave him a sedative to keep him under for a couple of hours until he regains his full strength, he should feel much after he wakes up this time around and that’s what we’re hoping for. When that happens, we can then begin the final stage of his recovery process.” Ava nodded. “Thank you, doctor. We’re so grateful for the help you’ve rendered.”“It’s my pleasure to help. I’ve known Sebastian since we were both boys and my father has been the Bancroft’s family doctor for decades. He’s like family to me as well.” “Do I need to call you guys once he wakes up?” Ava asked, her eyes fixed on Sebastian. “You don’t need to, we’d be counting down the hours ourselves and carrying out checkups before midnight. You’ve got no
It’s been a week since the ugly incident and Sebastian hadn’t woken up yet. Ava was struggling to pull it together but she knew she didn’t have any other option, she couldn’t afford to break down right now not when she had to look after herself and the baby as well given the fact that the pregnancy was entering into its crucial phase.The doctor urged her to give him time and be patient till he decided to come around. His vitals were good and his condition was improving, he was going to wake up any moment from now, the doctor would always say giving her a warm smile in return. The conviction in his voice always seemed to calm Ava’s nerves so she waited calmly until Sebastian decided to come around.She was in his hospital room, sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed, her knees were pulled up under her chin with her face buried between a historical romance novel by Nora Roberts. Reading helped her calm down and forget her worries and she’d been doing a lot of it during the past f
“Life isn’t meant to be fair to everyone,” Damian offered Ava a soft smile. “It’s just the way life is and we’ve got to make the best out of what we’re given.”“Sebastian doesn’t deserve this,” Ava grumbled.“No one does but shit happens.” Damian shuffled his feet as he struggled to find a comfortable situation. “Do you think he’s going to come out of this? Be honest with me. I could use that right now if you don’t mind.”“Sebastian’s tough as nails. He’s one of the most stubborn men I’ve ever met and if there’s anyone I know who’s going to come out of this, it’s Sebastian.”“Thank you, Damian.” Ava rubbed her arms, trying to calm her nerves. “You’re welcome. If there’s anything you need, please, do not hesitate to inform me.”“I’m good. Besides, I have a lot of people doting on me already and you have work to do.” “If you say so but I’m still here if you need anything.”“I should’ve done this a long time ago but I want to thank you for talking to Sebastian and managing to convince