Ethan's POVI whistled some more, then reached for the remote beside me and switched on the TV.However, just as I was about to take my first spoonful of the delicious oatmeal in front of me, I was abruptly interrupted by the sound of my name coming from the television.I paused my spoon and shifted my gaze towards the television.What could they be saying that had my name in it? "Shocking revelation as we uncover the unexpected twist," I heard the voice of the newscaster say, and my heart skipped a beat, "The real owner of the new jaw-dropping drone that has got everyone talking is now confirmed to be owned by Ava Lockwood and not Ethan Brooks who was the first one to upload the video of the new drone in development."The man's words took me aback, my eyes widening and my mouth hanging open in surprise."Today at three in the afternoon, a video was released revealing a female employee, who was later identified as a former employee at Notes Tech, capturing images of files that appear
Ava's POV"Come on, Tom. What's wrong?" I inquired, rising from my seat."I need you to see something. I'm currently at home. This is not something I can explain over the phone," he said, his voice filled with desperation."I'll... I'll be right there," I managed to say and ended the call.Without wasting any time, I dashed out of my office, and when Camilla saw me, she rose from her seat, clutching a stack of papers."Mrs. Lockwood, we…""Later, Camilla. I'm heading out. Fill in for me if necessary," I interrupted and exited her office.I quickly made my way to the underground parking lot and drove out of the company.**********The house was dark when I entered, and it got me quite scared."Tom?" I called out, fumbling inside my bag to take out my phone and switch on its light.Suddenly, a hand tightly grasped my shoulder. Startled, I let out a scream and instinctively swung my bag, hitting the person square in the face.The lights came on, and I saw Tom on the floor."Oh my!" I ex
Ava's POVI groaned as I woke up and rolled over to the other side of the bed whilst letting out a yawn.A few minutes later, I sat up, scratched my head, and ruffled my hair.I slowly opened my eyes and began to glance around.To my surprise, I found myself in Tom's room instead of my own.I scratched my arm and then abruptly stood up from the bed as the sudden realization washed over me."Oh my goodness! I can't believe I'm in Tom's room!" I exclaimed, taking a quick glance around."Alright, Ava. I'm not sure how you ended up here, but we need to get out." I muttered to myself, hastily making my way towards the door, nearly tripping in the process.I hurriedly made my way to my room, taking care not to stumble, and settled down in front of my desk as soon as I got to my room."What happened?" I asked myself, but it wasn't as though I couldn't remember; I remembered exactly what happened. I just didn't want to think about it.It was yet another mistake, and I just knew that it was on
Tom's POVThe sudden jolt caused the car to spiral out of control, but I quickly regained control and veered onto the sidewalk."Christ!! Are you okay?" I asked Ava, who had managed to curl up into a ball.I glanced back at the car which was still driving recklessly and out of control.Fortunately, I was able to swerve quickly, and the car only collided with the rear end of my car."Oh my," she exclaimed softly, sitting up. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked, her eyes glistening with tears of fear."I'm sorry," I apologized, and she slowly sat up straight."Are you sure you are okay?" she asked, sniffing, and I nodded."I was just overwhelmed with an excessive amount of work." I lied, and she let out a sigh."Just be more careful," she replied, picking up her fallen lipstick from the car floor.The last time I had done something like this, it didn't end well, but I couldn't help myself.Every time I laid eyes on Ava, a million thoughts and desires flooded my mind. But I was
Ava's POV"Excuse me," I said to Tom, raising my phone so he could see. "I need to take a call." He nodded in understanding."Don't take too much time. I don't see what I would be doing here by myself," he said as he casually slipped his hands into his pocket, and I couldn't help but smile."Just take a seat over there so I can easily find you when I'm back," I stated, gesturing towards a few unoccupied chairs."By the way, why are they staring at us like that? Don't they know we're married?" he playfully remarked before turning to walk away, and I couldn't help but chuckle."It means we're killing it," I said, my voice slightly loud as I turned around to leave.I stepped outside the hall used for the party and tried to dial Camilla's number, only to see that she was already calling me again."Camilla, what's wrong?" I said as soon as I picked up the call."Mrs. Lockwood, will you be coming in anytime soon?" she asked, causing me to furrow my brows."Just tell me why you called alread
Ava's POVThe hall fell into a chilling silence as Stanley paused, creating an air of suspense.The entire hall looked attentive as if they were eager to hear the names of the winners with every fibre of their being."Ava Lockwood!" Stanley eventually boomed, and my heart began to race with anticipation.There was a loud applause that tore through the air, and I was amazed by the number of people cheering for me.I stood up, placed my hand on my chest, and smiled widely, although I wanted to act cool with just a slight smile.I walked over to Stanley and Rachel, and they greeted me with warm hugs."Alright, here's our small token of appreciation for being the public's favourite," Rachel said and handed me a car key.I couldn't believe my eyes as my hands instinctively covered my mouth, and a mixture of awe and surprise escaped as laughter.And there it was, displayed on the television screen - the car that had been awarded to me."Are you for real?" I asked, as I hadn't expected much
Ava's POVWas Ethan about to get away with trying to steal my product? Was that the reason Jennie was missing? Had he threatened her to make her do it?Of course, there was no other explanation for it.He had indeed threatened her into making that video. After all, she had already confessed the truth to me."You should watch your back, ma'am," Camilla said, her voice trembling."Oh Camilla, why are you so scared? It is not really affecting us in any way, or is it? And just so you know, I am not mad at you, so there's no need to worry. Everything is cool. It's fine," I reassured her, and when she responded, I could hear the relief in her voice."Alright, ma'am. I'll let you handle it then," Camilla said.As soon as I ended the call, I began to search for Jennie's video on the internet.Camilla's words were true, and from the video, I could tell that Jennie made the video from her house."Hello, everyone. I don't want to drag this out or make this video longer than necessary, so I'll ge
Tom's POVI gently grasped Ava's trembling hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze, before leaving her in the car."The lady," the thug with the deep voice said as I stood in front of him, hands tucked into my pockets, staring at him.Since I was taller than him, it was pretty easy for me to look imposing."The lady remains in the car," I said in a cold voice I didn't even realize I had."The lady comes out," he insisted, casting me a menacing gaze, to which I responded with a scoff."She remains in the car. So, are you willing to resolve this matter with some financial compensation or not? I'm a busy individual," I stated, casually leaning against the vehicle, and he gazed at me with a perplexed expression."You're talking to Alfredo!! Have you no fear?" he asked, stepping back."Do you want a fight then? Well, I'm ready to give it to you. You have two options: money or a brutal brawl. But hurry up because, in just a minute, the money option will no longer be available," I declared,
Tom's POVThe idea of getting married had always been daunting to me because it represented a lifelong commitment.It was not something I could easily walk away from, but the way she asked me about it gave me a sense of excitement. It made me feel like there was a lot to expect from her. After all, ever since our relationship began, we had been able to overcome many obstacles and challenges, which had only brought us closer than contract marriage partners typically would be."Alright, that's it. Well, since you guys need to come to a better and more sincere decision, I'll be on my way," Melody announced. She gave Ava a deep hug and left the restaurant.After staring at Melody for a long while, Ava's gaze returned to meet mine."I don't know about you, but I want to spend a lifetime with you. I can't imagine being with anyone else now. I don't want us to see where this goes, I want us to take us where it goes. And Chris won't have power over us anymore, because this time, we'll go thr
Tom's POVAva and I exchanged a fearful glance as terror gripped us.Had Chris heard or seen us approaching, or was he angry because I hadn't shown any fear when he talked about detaining Melody?Ava swallowed and took the first step. After three more steps, she broke into a run and smashed through the window. It was quite impressive how forceful she was. How on earth could a woman break through a window?I followed in her footsteps and saw a trail of blood coming from the hall.My eyes widened and immediately I tried to stop Ava from running headfirst into whatever was waiting for us, but she was too fast.As soon as she reached the end of the hall, she let out a scream and instinctively placed her hand on her chest before bolting into the living room.I followed her and found Chris on the floor, blood pouring from his leg.Melody still had her gun pointed at him, but Ava hugged her tightly as if she had been raised from the dead.Tears streamed down Melody's cheeks, but her grip on
Ava's POVChris had abducted Melody, there was no other way to put it, but I still clung to Tom because he was at his most vulnerable at that moment and wasn't ready to deal with anything else.As his tears continued to fall, I felt conflicted.I was afraid for Melody's safety in the hands of the reckless Chris, and afraid that if I interrupted this moment with Tom, I might never experience anything like it again.I held him closer, and for a moment he remained still. He rested in my embrace, perhaps reflecting on the painful memories he had been made to endure.We were there for about half an hour, and the entire time was filled with a sick feeling of worry for me.Finally, he pulled away from me and stood up."Wine for us? I believe we have no secrets now," he remarked, and I nodded with a faint smile. "Is something bothering you?" He asked, sitting down again."Are you feeling better now?" I asked, gently touching his tear-streaked face."I never thought I could cry, but you seem t
Ava's POV"Are you telling the truth? Will you really tell me everything, no matter what happens?" I asked.He was silent for a while but eventually spoke. "I will tell you everything, no matter what happens. I promise you, Ava.""Is that Tommy?" Dora suddenly asked, bursting into a high cackle."Oh, um, Tom. She's here. Dora is here," I said uncomfortably as she began to approach me."What?! Dora?? Where? Where are you, Ava?""We are in the parking lot," I replied immediately. "She told me she wants coffee, cigarettes, and her brother.""Take her to the closest coffee shop and get her whatever she wants. I'll be there soon," he told me before I ended the call."You want coffee right?" I asked her, my voice a bit shaky."I thought you weren't going to give me any," she raised a brow at me."I've changed my mind. Tom said to give you whatever you want.""Oh, my sweet Tommy. I always knew he still had feelings for me.""But what exactly happened between you two?" I quipped."He tried to
Tom's POVThe nurse explained to me how they had gone to Dora's room to offer her treatment, but found out that she wasn't there.They had tried calling Chris, but he was wanted so his phone was turned off. Then they had called me, but I had also been unreachable.When I had gone to visit her some days ago, I was asked to provide all of my contact numbers, so I included my office number as well and it turned out to be the only way for them to reach me now."Are there any CCTV cameras?" I inquired, and the nurse let out a sigh."The last time she was seen, she walked into the staff toilet and never came out. When it was checked again, it was discovered that she had stolen the clothes of a nurse and left her unconscious. At the time, no one suspected her, so she was able to run out," she explained, her voice trembling slightly."So?" I asked."We think she might go to visit any of her relatives. Maybe you or her brother," she finished, and I licked my lips."It's fine. If she comes to s
Ava's POVI was about to open my room door, but then I remembered that Chris had made me lock it from the inside. I realized that I would probably have to find another room to sleep in. I quickly went into the room next to mine and slammed the door in anger. Then I flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.It was so frustrating that he didn't feel ready to tell me anything about Dora. He wasn't prepared to narrate the whole thing to me, leaving me in the dark.The fact that I had trusted and loved him blindly brought tears to my eyes.How could you tell someone you loved them and still refuse to let them know all there was to you?I hated secrets. I hated liars, and I hated deceivers!!With that thought, I found myself drifting off to sleep.The night I had had indeed been an eventful one, full of fear and anxiety.*************The next morning, I woke up at dawn, took a shower, looked through the wardrobe for clothes set aside for unexpected guests, and chose an outfit.
Ava's POVI was dumbstruck; I mean completely speechless."Wait, isn't that Tom's wife? The new girl he loves?" She started to shout. "Ha, she's not as pretty as we thought." She then paused and looked around. "Hey guys, why were we scared? Obviously, it's because we didn't expect a stranger. I can't believe he ended up saving her after all. If it weren't for us, she would have lost her fingers. Why did you even tell him the location? You should have just let her hands rot. She doesn't need them."The way she spoke to herself was unnerving. Suddenly, she began to laugh like a maniac, and I found myself breathing faster out of fear of what she might do."Does Tom think he'll lead a good life after ending mine? No!! I'll make him miserable too. I'll make him share my hospital room and laugh with me, too!" she promised as she ran her hands over her bed.I stumbled back a few steps.."He… he made you like this?" I asked in a shaky voice.In a fit of bubbling rage, she angrily demanded, "A
Ava's POVI gasped, and my phone slipped from my grasp."Raise them. Those hands," he said slowly, and my hands shot up to the ceiling immediately. "Good. Now, any little, stupid sound that I don't approve of, and I'll blast your head," he threatened softly, causing my eyes to close tightly.He was dressed entirely in black, with a black cap covering his head.He then moved closer to me; even with my eyes closed, I could feel his presence growing stronger.My limbs trembled, and it seemed like I would collapse any moment. "You need to lock the door," he whispered into my ear, his voice dangerously close, as he pressed the gun against the back of my neck.My legs sprang into action instantly, a little too fast."I'm not trying to run away. I'm not," I assured him in a wavering voice as I proceeded to lock my door.With the tip of the gun in his hands, he forcefully pushed me to the bed while he leaned against the nightstand, carefully observing me."You must think you've won. Everythi
Tom's POVMr. Roger looked nervous as he had finally confessed their greed, and as he met my expressionless eyes, it seemed he understood the gravity of what he had done."That's why they were so adamant," he explained, his eyes darting from Henry to me. "I actually wanted to pull out, but I had already used the money for my wife's surgery, and there wasn't really any way of getting it back." He moistened his lips nervously as he spoke."So are you saying that he successfully bribed the entire board too?" Henry asked.Mr. Roger shook his head. "No. A few persons rejected the money because they wanted to stick with Mrs. Lockwood. And I really wanted to, but I …""I can imagine the others saying exactly what you're saying - making excuses. But excuses don't cover up what you've done. Mrs. Lockwood will be the one to decide whether or not to expose you," I announced, noticing fear crossing his eyes."I… I know what I did was wrong…," he stuttered, avoiding my gaze.**************Ava wen