In the midst of the dilemma of getting Alessandro to sign the papers, Eve received a text from her manager,Wendy: Guess what? The reality show is back!"Oh shit! Hell no!" Eve's piercing scream reverberated through the room, carrying with it a weight that threw the atmosphere in heavy silence.Till a throat was cleared beside her, "Uhm, chairwoman, is there any problem with the presentation?" The familiar voice of the chairman of the board had Eve lifting her eyes to the sea of gazes staring at her.Right, she had forgotten that she was in a meeting!Embarrassment flooded her cheeks, and she adjusted herself in the seat, clearing her throat. "Sorry, please continue." A confused Vegas who had been giving the presentation went on, and Eve tried to concentrate for the rest of the meeting.But she merely succeeded, for as soon as she stepped into her office, she pulled out her phone and dialed the manager."Hey Wendy, I don't understand, the show is over..."The overly excited manager
A marriage probation?That wasn't what Eve had bargained for when she stormed into the Stark Corporation, and she thought about it all the way back to her office.What could be the intention behind suddenly not wanting a divorce?What was the real motive?She bit her nails softly and thought long and hard, but she came up empty.She even went through the marriage contract severally when she got to her office, and stared out of the window which had the best view of New York.But she couldn't find any loophole that would perhaps affect him if they had a divorce. By the time evening struck, Eve was frustrated for some reason. She hadn't gotten any work done that day and she still had to go home to return to sharing a bed with Alessandro."Shit!" She cursed again as she drove into the mansion and parked in the garage.Other unfamiliar cars were also parked there. Seemed they had visitors, interesting.Eve sucked in a deep breath and grabbed her purse and the snacks she had bought on her
He took in the stubborn upturn of her soft beautiful lips, that fire in her eyes that burned him raw, washed aglow in the bright lights.And he knew, she wasn't about to declare her undying love for him."So what? I am to forget all your insults and manipulations and the way your family has treated me for what? Because you suddenly had a change of heart which is so fickle that I cannot trust it? Bugger it." Her tone was sharp as the daggers she was shooting from her eyes, and he took a step towards her, aware that he must thread carefully."I want to get to know you better, I am interested to knowing you, Ava, not the misinformation and misconceptions I've had in my head." When she didn't say a word, but kept staring at him with that delicate head raised upwards to meet his stare, he continued in a calm soothing tone,"For instance, when you are pissed, your accent is British, and your fingers twitch."Bloody hell, Eve had forgotten to mask the accent which had become a part of her
"Perfect! And...cut!" Eve breathed a sigh of relief at last and stepped back from Sean who was obviously still grabbing hold of her waist."And scene thirty cut ten is a wrap!"Right, she repeated that kiss scene ten times because for some reason, Sean Lancaster who was renowned for his acting skills was suddenly being clumsy and making mistakes.She didn't buy any of that shit.But she had to be professional of course, and therefore didn't scream out loud as she wanted to or use any of the curse words at the tip of her tongue.Because it was so fucking obvious why Sean Lancaster made it a point of duty to grope and stick his tongue into her mouth when...Yuck, now Eve wasn't flattered by his attention anymore, it was beyond creepy and weird and she still tasted that extremely strong mint in his tongue.It came on too strong, just like he did, nothing like a certain golden eyed man with freckles of multiple colours which made a play in his eyes with the reflections of the light...Ok
The giant hand of the clock struck seven o'clock, and an elegantly dressed lady in red sashayed out of the elevators, her stilettos clicking against the floors.Her beautiful frame reflected against the wall mirrors, and her cologne spread through the air.She stopped in front of the top floor and lifted her hand, ready to push the door bell, when a masculine hand with sprinkles of hair wrapped around her wrist,And pulled her into the corner of the hallway.It happened so swiftly that she didn't get the opportunity to see his face before she was pulled into a rock hard chest."Do you really wanna ruin your career for that jerk? He's fucking using you!" That voice thick with sexiness was as familiar as her own job."Mr. Stark?" She spoke for the first time, and a frown marred his face, then he pushed her a good distant away from him.Because that was no Ava Stark, his wife.The lady in blond hair pulled off her shades and stared at him in surprise, and it was his turn to mutter her n
The car halted at the back of a private establishment which boasted of a monumental building surrounded by fresh trees.It reminded Eve of England,and she felt nostalgic for a second."You can remove the hoodie, I bought this place for the quiet." Alessandro broke the long silence as soon as they were out of the car, and Eve was surprised that he sometimes needed serenity.She had assumed him to be the stereotypical playboy who spent his free time in the arms of women and...That wasn't any of her business. They stepped into the building which smelt of books, suddenly reminded her of those days spent at the libraries.She missed them, and instantly fell in love with the building which seemed to be a private museum of some sort."Do you ever open this place to the public?" Eve asked, breaking her own silence.There was barely any sign of another human there apart from both of them, but the floors sparkled of neatness.Alessandro had a forlorn look in his eyes when he replied, "Not fo
"Bloody hell."Eve cursed beneath her breath as soon as she woke up to the bright sun rays which somehow penetrated into her head.She was shivering with cold, and yet her body was soaked in a pool of her own heat.And to make it worse, it was as if that banging headache had only tripped.She felt ten times worse than before she went to bed, and her feet were suddenly too heavy as well as her whole body."Fucking stupid sickness." She cursed again when she almost tripped over the table.The room was empty and felt like it was zero degrees, but her skin itched of the perspiration which clung to her clothes.Her head was heavy, but she forced feet to move, staggering and holding onto walls and tables as she finally made it to the bathroom.But her teeth was clenched tightly, and the very thought of getting into the tub was terrifying.It felt like an hour later when Eve found her way out of the room in the thickest sweats and pants she could find, her hair wet and piled on top of her he
Eve wasn't hysterical on the third night she woke up in the middle of the night.And for the first time in a while, her mouth didn't taste so bitter anymore, but it did feel like crap.That shivering cold was gone, and all she felt now was weakness and burning heat...From the body mashed closely with hers under the duvet.Eve pried her eyes open to the darkness and inhaled deeply, her eyes darting to the muscled arm wrapped around her.The soft breathing and warm flesh beside hers was comforting, and she swallowed hard, feeling lightheaded again.She was all sweaty now, and felt as though she hadn't washed up in ages. She also needed to brush her teeth and change into something else that wasn't sweat pants.Alessandro had stuffed her body into it last night, after he cleaned her up.Oh dear, her skin heated up for another reason, and she bit into her cheeks, shutting her eyes as the memory of last night flooded into her brain.It had been the second night she had woken up after that
Seven Months Later An orchestra ensemble was playing softly in the most luxurious hall in the heart of New York. It was one of the properties Alessandro Stark had gifted his fiancée, Eve Wilson, when he proposed to her months ago. Their love life had swept the whole of America by storm, especially when the Ava Wilson that the whole world had known as Alessandro's wife exposed everything that had happened on TV. The months after Ava had surprised everyone by telling the truth for the first time in her life had been a rollercoaster. At first, fans were confused since they had just realised that the celebrity they loved all those months hadn't been Ava. It had been difficult for Eve who took to interviews with Alessandro by her side, apologising for deceiving the world. But finally, after series of hate comments and legal battles, the Johnson Corporation had returned to the hands of Eve Wilson, the original owner whom the late Mrs. Rebecca Johnson had handed the company to. Durin
It started out as a kiss, but soon went beyond a mere locking of lips.It was like having two souls merging together, hearts locking in an eternal bliss which completed them both, and made them whole.He tasted her tears which rolled down to her lips, his palm cradling her face like a babe as their eyes fluttered shut.His fingers glided down her arm and cupped her waist, slipping into the shirt and moving around to her toned stomach...Except that it wasn't flat anymore, and that unmistakable bulge had him stilling his movements.His fingers stopped moving, his lips wrenching from hers with a pop."Is this what I think it is? You're pregnant?" His eyes were wide open in bewilderment, his tone ladened with shock and delight.It reminded Eve of the drawer full of pregnancy kits, and she stepped away from him, breathing hard and walking towards a seat."Eve, why are you not answering my questions? When were you going to tell me that you are carrying our baby?" That rage was returning t
It was one thing to be a lover of kids all her life, but Eve soon realised that carrying one's own child wasn't as fun as she had imagined it to be.She had barely entered into the second month of her first trimester, and she already felt like she was carrying a trailer on her stomach.She was blotted and weak most of the time, and going to work had become a tedious task.For instance, being around so many daycare kids whom she had taken pride in being their teacher before, now gave her headache,And also filled her mind with fears of taking care of her own kid properly.She felt nauseous and heavy and everything simply had her overreacting.It was nights like this, when she returned to her apartment with take out that she missed Alessandro, terribly.The last time she checked, he was unaware of her existence and was gracing the covers of magazines with Ava by his side.Eve forced her feet to move, a bead of sweat rolling down her temple from climbing the stairs.The elevator had brok
"I wonder why we've been forced to sit with this classless family of cheats and gold-diggers. I can't believe we all fell for your stupid pretense!"Anastasia Stark was clearly enraged where she sat across the Wilson family in Alessandro's spacious living room, her long legs crossed in front of her.Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were in their best clothes, dressed like they were being hosted by the president of the country.They ignored the angry Stark girl and turned away from the entire Stark family, staring at the television, clearly unbothered.It was only a matter of time before all their plans fell into place.In fact, based on the good news they had received from their star daughter, Ava, the one who had always brought money home, not the other self righteous Eve, it was only a matter of minutes.Soon, Alessandro would come down with Ava by his side and make a grand announcement, and they couldn't possibly imagine what it would be.But knowing how wealthy he was, he was probably going to
The door to Alessandro's study opened stealthily, and a teary eyed Ava came into view and leaned against the wall, her lips pouted cutely.Alessandro looked up from the screen of his laptop and reclined into his seat, pulling off his glasses."Hey baby, you know your cousin is lying right?" She employed that sweet tone capable of melting ice as she sashayed into the study.Alessandro who sat cross-legged in the executive seat rolled it to her direction and beckoned her to sit on his thighs.Ava smiled softly and perched on his powerful thighs, wrapping her arms around his neck."Daniella is lying, she's been trying to get me to have a threesome with them but I refused, then she ganged up with Anna and decided to set me up. You know I would never do that to you, right?"She was unbuttoning his shirt as she spoke, batting her baby blues at him. Alessandro slipped his fingers in between hers, halting her activity."Yes, I know that the woman I married would never do that." Ava smiled
One Month LaterWinter in the U.K. was one thing that Eve hadn't missed during her stay in America.It was extremely colder this year, and she had to stuff herself in large sweats and jeans, paired with scarves around her neck and head warmer.But the only advantage the clothes had was that Eve wasn't mistaken for Ava on the streets, which had been happening a lot these days.Apparently, she had underestimated how popular her twin's name and image had become when she was living as her.But now, as she walked the streets of London, she kept her head low, aware of Ava's image and ad videos on the billboards surrounding her.Some of them were of her twin with Alessandro, covering the pages of magazines and headlining events together.It hurt to say that they looked good together, as though there was no difference between them.Eve halted at a bus stop just in time for a bus to pull over, and she stepped into it, conscious of the curious eyes alternating between staring at her and looking
Morning came with unbearable pain, as reality crashed down on her.How much did it hurt waking up to the man she loved who had just declared that he was also in love with her, knowing she had to be on her way out of his life soon?Eve struggled with so many emotions, tempted even to ditch her sister for once.It was even more painful when she noticed that Alessandro had been awake for a while, staring at her with his head propped against his palm."Morning, beautiful." He muttered softly, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead, his eyes glinting more brightly than the morning sun."Hey" Eve said in response, and he took her hand, bringing her palm to his lips and leaving a soft kiss.Her heart fluttered, butterflies dancing in her stomach.Alessandro made a face, playfully, "Well, I was expecting more than a hey from my wife who just declared her undying feelings for me last night. You feel like bursting with all the love you have for me, right?" The shameless narcissist!Eve pushed
Lies lies lies. Eve was determined not to fall bait to whatever her sister was planning, and pushed herself upwards to her feet, dragging her wet clothes with her and walking past her delusional twin. Ava was either cooking up something or just hallucinating, and Eve wasn't going to be her pawn. First she had accused Alessandro, and now Leonardo? She almost made it to the door when a voice halted her in her steps. 'I am sorry for sending those messages to the douchebag, but Eve wouldn't divorce him despite that I promised to help her! I only thought that he would be forced to leave her and show her his true colours if he found out the truth, that's the only reason I agreed to work with Bella.' It was clearly the voice of Leonardo, and Eve turned slowly, stunned to her bones. Ava was holding up her phone where those damning words were coming from. "Wh.. What?" Eve stuttered. Ava sucked in a deep breath and came close to her, taking her hands and leading her to the bed again.
Months ago, Eve had prayed for this moment when Ava would return and she could go back to her normal life.But now, her head was swirling and her heart aching as reality crashed down on her.Her lips hung open, but no words could come out of it.She was still thinking of what to say when footsteps padded on the grand stairs, shattering the block in her train of thoughts.It could be anyone who would walk in and see her with her sister.Eve started to panic, her fingers trembling and tightening around the door knob, but she soon felt herself pulled into the room, the door shut quietly,Leaving her alone with her sister, whose expression proved that Eve wasn't hallucinating as she had hoped."I...um, you are...back?" Eve stuttered, her brain barely able to function amidst all the thoughts and anxiety blocking its passage.Ava smiled and took her hands, pulling her into a hug."Thanks so much for standing in for me, sister. I will take it from here."Thanks for standing in? She could tak