"Just go in," Sebastian muttered to himself, gripping the steering wheel.It was late at night that Sunday and after doing everything he possibly could to ignore his guilty conscience, he could swear that all he did that day reminded him of Ava.Reminded him of his slip up and how he needed to urgently fix things before shit hit the fan.He should have called her."Well she didn't call me either," he grumbled, finding a reason to be mad at her even though he had nothing. If she hadn't woken him out of his madness with that slap, who knew what he could have done that night.His knuckles whitened even more as he gripped the wheel harder. Shit really could have hit the fan. He could still recall her declarative words… If you keep treating me like this…"It was just one mistake!" He growled. Perhaps not entirely but at least the part where he had claimed to own her was one.The kiss however was a different thing entirely.Even with guilt racking heavily on his mind, Sebastian didn't feel
Chapter Thirty TwoAt first they both stared at each other like love struck fools. At least that was what Kim thought as she watched her sister hold gazes with a man who suddenly became an important aspect of their lives. It was funny how two weeks ago, she and Ava were nobodies. And now? They had barely spent thirty minutes in the club they went to before someone recognized Ava as the famous Cinderella Bancroft. From literal rags to riches. Her classmates would not let her rest. Questions always arose every single time she stepped on school grounds and honestly? She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the attention one bit. People wanted to be her. They either showed it through jealousy or flat out telling her they envied her. And Kim liked that very much. Besides, they got to move out of their dingy apartment into the most fabulous house she had ever seen. That was a blessing. And she was grateful for it. What she wasn't grateful for however was Sebastian hurting her sister.
Chapter Thirty ThreeSebastian and Ava make their debut at the grand award gala, gliding across the red carpet as cameras flash in their faces. The lights bounce off Ava's glittering dress, making her shine like a star. Her hair is styled in a sleek updo that reveals her elegant neck, and her makeup is immaculate, accentuating her natural beauty.Sebastian walks beside her, looking handsome in his tuxedo. He admires Ava's dress and tells her how stunning she looks. Ava blushes at the compliment and thanks him, but the conversation dies down as they approach the entrance to the hall.As they enter, the sound of classical music fills the air, and the hall is filled with the chatter of guests. The tables are beautifully decorated with crystal glasses and shimmering silverware, and the guests are dressed in their finest attire.Sebastian leads Ava to their table, where they take their seats and are greeted warmly by the other guests. Ava feels like she's in a fairy tale as she looks aroun
Kimberly revved up Kim's Pink Mercedes Benz, enjoying the smooth purr of the engine. She felt a thrill of excitement as she sped down the road, feeling the wind in her hair and the power of the car beneath her.But as she pulled up to the college parking lot, she saw Asher standing there, a sly grin on his face."Well, well, well," he said, eying the car. "What do we have here? Did you steal this from your sister again, Kimberly?"Kimberly bristled, feeling a surge of irritation. "No, I borrowed it. And I'll have you know that Kim gave me permission to drive it."Asher chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure she did. But hey, no worries, I won't tell anyone."Kimberly rolled her eyes, feeling a pang of disappointment. She had hoped that Asher would be impressed by the car, but instead he was just teasing her like always. She sighed, feeling a twinge of frustration. Why couldn't he take her seriously for once?As they walked towards their class, Asher continued to tease her, making fun of he
Ava groaned at the shrill sound of her phone, covering her ears with a pillow. She had hoped for a day free of disturbance especially after the event she had attended with Sebastian the night before. Being the fiancée of a billionaire was hectic. She loved the attention of course. And the food. Oh the food! They served the best dishes at those events and then put tiny amounts on everyone's plates as if trying to control how much would be eaten.She had never seen anything more ridiculous.At first she had been shy to reach for more, afraid to soil Sebastian’s name, but after spending three hours standing on heels, smiling from ear to ear at every single soul that passed, she was beyond famished. She simply threw all her cares to the wind, yanked out a plate and took seconds. At least by that time half the people there were too drunk to pay attention to her. The other half however were very much alert and had given her a look that made her feel like the runt at the bottom of their sho
“Ohhh,” She drawled, surprise coloring her features,“Yeahh,” Sebastian mimicked. During the following silence that ensued, he could hear his heart pounding loudly in his ears. She would refuse him, wouldn’t she? The last time she had been in his home, he had grabbed her like some dumbass villain, demanding she submit to him. She was probably still scared of him. He ran a hand through his hair, remembering how distant she had also felt in the past few days. She rarely laughed at his jokes, rarely leaned into his touch… She fulfilled her role as his fiancee perfectly, but he felt that he had lost a friend. “You don’t have to. I was just… Never mind really. It was a joke.”Wow, nice save, Sebastian, His mind taunted. You definitely didn't just sound like a blundering idiot.Ava tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth wondering what to say in reply. Spending the day with Sebastian seemed like an appealing idea. A very appealing idea. But they would not be in public. They would be in a c
Chapter 37Sebastian stood before his mirror wondering what to wear. Ava would be there anytime soon and while he wanted nothing more than to sweep her off her feet, take her to his bed and show her debauched things- very very debauched things- he had to okay it cool. Because he couldn't risk her running off to the hills the first chance she got. This was his one chance to fix the damned space between them and mend their friendship. He dragged a hand down his face. Should he really wear a shirt? Did he have to? He was in his house for goodness sake. But Ava was easily distracted and even though he secretly loved being making her blush and very distracted, he didn't want her accusing him of seducing him or some shit like that. If he took his shirt off around her, there was no telling what he could do. But she's coming for the jacuzzi, his mind reminded. It was a bit hypocritical, wearing a shirt now when he planned to spend time, half naked with her in his fucking cozy Jacuzzi-"Ah
Chapter 38"No way!" Ava squealed, jumping excitedly as she watched him whip out a large rectangular baking pan. She had followed his instruction on what to do. Had prepped the cheese, hard boiled the potatoes, yet she hadn't a clue what he intended to do until he brought out the baking pan. "You're making cottage cheese!" Sebastian laughed at how childish she sounded. Damn she looked adorable. Her blue eyes were round with surprise as she struggled to climb off the counter. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail much to his disappointment. He had wanted to see them spill over her shoulders, as soft as they looked. "We are making cottage cheese," he corrected, layering the pan with mashed potatoes. "Oh please," Ava mumbled, finally getting off the counter and rushed to his side. "I had no clue what we were making Because you wouldn't tell me!" "That whole thing you did on the counter is exactly the reason why I didn't tell you. I wanted to surprise you." Sebastian said without thinki
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