Justin’s POVI felt like shit. Seeing Ayva so broken, shocked, and disappointed in me made me want to disappear. I was beyond embarrassed.And the worst part was I had no excuse, nothing I could say to fix how she felt about me now, which just made everything worse.I’ve had my suspicions about Allison for years but didn't confirm it until a month ago when Amanda called Ayva to the hospital. I half expected Ayva to catch on when she was told she was a match with Allison. It seemed fishy that neither Amanda nor Aiden was a match, but Ayva was. And when I realized she hadn't figured it out, I promised myself I'd tell her when the time was right. If only I knew that jerk would beat me to it.Ayva wiped her nose with the back of her hand. I offered her a handkerchief, but she didn't take it, choosing to wipe her tears with her sleeves instead."What else?" She sniffed. "What else are you keeping from me? It feels like there's always something you're hiding." Her words hit hard. "Tell me
Ayva’s POV"Ms. Wesley, Ayva, are you still here?" Martinez's voice jolted me out of what I was reading on my phone.I blinked multiple times, sat up in my chair, and nodded. "Of course, I am. What were we talking about again?" I said, placing my phone down on the desk with the screen facing down. I intertwined my fingers together as my elbow rested on the desk."I said the only way to prove his identity is false is to confirm if he's truly Allison's father," Martinez said. "But you know we can't use DNA samples acquired illegally, so he has to be aware of the DNA test.""But then he'd know what I'm onto," I said, and Martinez slowly nodded. "There has to be another way," I mumbled. Although I'd yet to scientifically confirm if Aiden was truly Zion like Justin had claimed, since that day that he said it, I'd been unable to shake off that idea from my head. As days went on, I slowly accepted that Justin might be right.It'd been two months since I decided that we needed to take a break
Ayva's POV"Ms. Wesley, Ayva, are you still here?" Martinez's voice jolted me out of what I was reading on my phone.I blinked multiple times, sat up in my chair, and nodded. "Of course, I am. What were we talking about again?" I said, placing my phone down on the desk with the screen facing down. I intertwined my fingers together as my elbow rested on the desk."I said the only way to prove his identity is false is to confirm if he's truly Allison's father," Martinez said. "But you know we can't use DNA samples acquired illegally, so he has to be aware of the DNA test.""But then he'd know what I'm onto," I said, and Martinez slowly nodded. "There has to be another way," I mumbled. Although I'd yet to scientifically confirm if Aiden was truly Zion like Justin had claimed, since that day that he said it, I'd been unable to shake off that idea from my head. As days went on, I slowly accepted that Justin might be right.It'd been two months since I decided that we needed to take a break
Justin's POV"What do you mean by that?" I inquired, casting a skeptical glance at Samantha.She approached my desk, placing an iPad on the surface. I eyed her suspiciously before picking up the iPad.True to her words, there was a video of Bella on live TV. I was taken aback. What was she doing there? She had mentioned feeling unwell that morning, causing me to arrive at work late, yet there she was on TV, looking nothing like she had described earlier.The presenter was asking her questions, but I couldn't hear clearly as the iPad's volume was low. I quickly connected my AirPods to the iPad to listen to what she was saying."Oh, that's all false. My husband and I are stronger than ever. All the divorce rumors are just tabloid trash," Bella claimed. "Did I mention that we also have plans to renew our wedding vows?"We do?"Really?" The presenter seemed surprised by the news. Well, that made two of us. "That's great news, Bella. We heard rumors about Mr. Mount having a mistress. Ther
Justin’s POV“Mom!” I warned with a glare as I tried to caution her. She continued glaring at Ayva whom I’d now pulled to stand behind me, shielding her from any other impending attack from my mom. “Oh my, oh God! What is happening? My son has- oh lord! I no longer recognize the man I birthed.” She staggered, but Emily held her before she could fall. “Where is he? What happened to my son?” She cried out dramatically, attracting unnecessary attention from passersby. My jaw ticked, “Mom, this is not the time or place for this.” I gritted through my teeth. “Oh Emily what has happened to your brother? How could he be so cruel to me?” She continued, ignoring my warnings. “Stop this now or I’m going to leave.” I kept on clenching and unclenching my teeth, trying to keep the anger and irritation o felt away. “Now he’s threatening me. He’s threatening his own mother. He’s not my—” “Mom!” I barked, gaining more eyes on us. She looked stunned and so did Emily. And their shock was because
"THIS WAS NEVER PART OF THE PLAN!" Amanda's voice reverberated through the spacious apartment, her chest heaved rapidly, each breath a testament to the storm brewing within her. Her eyes blazed with intense anger as she locked her gaze on Zion.Zion, standing tall but visibly seething, hissed through gritted teeth, "The plan changed the moment you made me marry her!" His jaw clenched tightly, his fists balled up by his side as he struggled to contain his anger. The tension between them had been building for the past ten minutes, ever since Zion had stepped foot into Amanda's apartment. He had hoped to seek solace and comfort from her, but instead, he found himself engulfed in the chaos that Amanda had unleashed upon him. The air became stiffer as they stood face to face, radiating animosity and resentment. Their eyes locked in a severe battle of emotions, conveying a mix of disdain, obsession, lust, and unfulfilled desires."You promised me you would make her get an abortion!" Amanda
Ayva stormed out of the room without saying a word. Almost immediately, Zion pushed Amanda off him roughly, and she almost hit her head on the bed frame. "You stupid bitch! You called her here, didn't you?" The satisfied smirk on her lips was more than enough of an answer to his question. He tried to lunge at her, but she swiftly moved out of his grasp."I swear I'm going to get you!" He glowered, hurriedly trying to get off the bed, but his legs tangled in the sheet, and then he stumbled roughly on the floor with a thud, making him yell out profanities. His eyes scurried around the ground for his clothes as he panicked. His stomach twisted into a knot as he frantically searched for his clothes."Where the fuck did you hide my clothes?" He barked. His wife had just caught him in bed with her best friend. They might as well be sisters, seeing as Amanda’s parents had adopted Ayva since she lost her parents at twelve. The only woman he'd ever fallen in love with had caught him cheatin
In shock, Ayva coughed and tried to back away from him, her fear consuming her. "Ayva," Justin called out, concern evident in his eyes. "Are you okay? Would you like me to get you something to drink? Coffee, perhaps?""No!" Ayva's reply came out harsher and quicker than she intended. Fear gripped her, making it difficult to think clearly. She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but the fear of the unknown held her back. What if he denies everything? What if uncovering the truth angers him? What if he's not the one?Though the cologne was distinct, Ayva knew it wasn't definitive proof. Others could wear it too. Her head spun as a whirlwind of thoughts collided within her. Nervously, she stepped into her office and locked the door behind her. With a trembling hand, she picked up the remote and pressed a button, instantly turning the glass walls of her office opaque.As Ayva sank to the floor, overwhelmed by sobs and the weight of her emotions, she instinctively hugged her leg