****Five years later****Zion’s POV****Mature Scenes Below****"You have no idea how much I've missed you," Amanda whispered against my lips as I walked through the door."I've missed you too, babe. Not a single day went by without thoughts of you and this," I replied, my breath ragged. My hands slid under her t-shirt, gently cupping her perky breasts. Her nipples responded instantly, hardening under my touch.But the truth was, during my two-week business trip in Vegas, Amanda was the furthest thing from my mind. I wasn't alone there. I had traveled with Maribelle, a woman I had been secretly seeing for the past six months. And those two weeks in Vegas were filled with passionate moments. But of course, I couldn’t tell her that while she was here, eagerly waiting for me, I was over there, fucking another woman."Oh yeah?" she replied, her smile brightening.I knew exactly how to put her in a good mood. I knew the words she wanted to hear, so that's all I said."You have no idea," I
Zion’s POVMy body felt frozen as if I were standing in an ice-cold room. My eyes widened, while my jaw dropped so low it nearly grazed the ground. I couldn’t speak, and I struggled to process the reality of what was happening.Amanda’s reaction mirrored my own, if not surpassing it in intensity. Her face contorted with a mixture of disbelief, awe, and perhaps a touch of fear. It was the expression one might wear when they bear witness to the impossible as if they had just seen a deceased soul return to the realm of the living.And indeed, we had witnessed the resurrection of the deceased. The impossible had become reality before our very eyes.Ayva, sitting on the bed, observed the scene that unfolded before her, her brows knitted together in a deep furrow. Her eyes lost and searching, as she struggled to comprehend the incomprehensible.Amanda and I remained transfixed, our gazes fixed on her like curious onlookers observing an alien. In a feeble attempt to voice her thoughts, Ayva'
Ayva's POVIt's been a week since I found out that I was in a coma for six years. When Amanda told me, I couldn't believe it. It felt like I had only dozed off for a couple of hours. But when I tried to get out of bed, reality hit me hard. My legs were weak, like jelly, and I couldn't even take a single step before my knees buckled and I almost face-planted. Thankfully, Amanda’s husband, Zion, was quick on his feet and caught me before I hit the ground.Zion, I noticed, is not much of a talker. He has barely said ten words to me since I woke up. And it's not just that. He actively avoids looking at me, like I make him uncomfortable. I get it, to be honest. His wife brought her comatose friend into their home and made me a part of their lives for five whole years. They've only been married for four, and because of me, he never had the privacy he deserved with his wife and their daughter, Allison.The morning after I woke up, Amanda introduced me to Allison. She's such a cute and lovely
Justin's POVMy heart raced as I laid eyes on Ayva, disbelief and confusion washing over me. How could it be? Ayva passed away five years ago, and I vividly remember attending her funeral. Yet, here she was, standing before me. My brows furrowed as I carefully examined her face, searching for any subtle clues that might indicate that she wasn't Ayva but someone who looked like her. The thoughts were interrupted by her voice when she asked, "How do you know my name?" The voice was unmistakably Ayva's. A chill went down my spine as realized that it was really her. Confusion clouded my mind. I had so many questions I wanted to ask. Why doesn't she remember me? And why was she confined to a wheelchair? I was concerned and curious, desperately trying to figure out the mystery that was before me.Interrupting my thoughts, a lady's voice called out from behind me, "Ms. Ayva, we need to leave." The lady reached for the handle of Ayva's wheelchair, ready to whisk her away."Wait!" Ayva
Ayva’s POVTwo months flew by in the blink of an eye, and now it was my final day of physical therapy. I had made remarkable progress—I could walk flawlessly and even run as fast as I pleased. Though my memory hadn't returned, I was overjoyed to regain my independence, no longer confined to a wheelchair.Earlier, I had texted Justin to let him know that the doctor had discharged me. He replied, saying he was in a meeting. As much as I hated to admit it, his message made me a little sad. Justin had been there for me throughout the past two months, accompanying me to the hospital and even arranging for his secretary to be by my side on the days he couldn't make it. But today, for the first time, I had come to the hospital all by myself.After bidding farewell to the nurses, I stepped out of the hospital, taking a deep breath. I felt liberated, happy, and capable of going anywhere I desired. Normally, I would head back to Amanda's house after therapy, but today, I wanted to go somewhere
Justin’s POVI could tell exactly when Ayva's feelings for me changed. It was about five weeks ago. The way she looked at me, the effort she put into her appearance, and the way she smiled at me, it all became different from what I was used to. I noticed every little detail but never said a word. Instead, I became more distant and standoffish towards her.Ayva anxiously waited for my response to her question, her eyes glued to my lips."Can I kiss you?"Those words would have made 18-year-old me jump for joy. It would have made 23-year-old me feel like I could conquer the world. Yet, 28-year-old me couldn't find any happiness in it.Lord knows the number of times I had imagined this moment, Ayva finally seeing me the way I had always seen her since we first met ten years ago.Although I was only 18, I knew then that I wanted to spend my life with her. My feelings for her had been the same for as long as I could remember. And now that there was a chance she might feel the same, I could
Ayva’s POVMy heart sank to the pit of my stomach as I tried to process what Justin had just said. I couldn't tell if I had misheard him or if he had truly uttered the words that stung my heart. "W-what did you... I'm not sure I heard you correctly," I stammered, my voice trembling with disbelief and hope. I kept my eyes fixed on his side profile, waiting anxiously for his response, my palms growing clammy with each passing second.He let out a heavy sigh before delivering the words that felt like a bucket of icy water thrown in my face. "I'm getting married, Ayva. The wedding is in a month.""Why?" I blurted out, realizing immediately that I had asked the wrong question. "I mean, how? Since when? And why are you only telling me now?" Despite our past relationship, I believed Justin and I were close enough to talk about important matters like getting married. Did this mean that none of the time we spent together meant anything to him? Were the meals we shared and the laughter we enj
Ayva’s POV"Zion," I began, my voice trembling as I struggled to find the right words. The bitter taste of what I was about to say lingered in my mouth. "Did I... love you?"He nodded, tears streaming down his face. "You did. You loved me with all your heart, and I... I took it for granted," he choked out. "I took your love for granted. When Amanda found out, she was furious and..."His voice trailed off, his grip on my legs weakening."And what, Zion?" I almost screamed, desperation and confusion consuming me.No response.I knelt beside him, my heart pounding in my chest, only to discover that he had passed out His tears staining his face.I felt like the most despicable person in the world. Disgust washed over me as I realized the extent of my betrayal towards Amanda, an affair with her husband. Yet, despite my actions, Amanda had shown me forgiveness and cared for me all these years, even when I nearly destroyed her relationship with Zion.I started to question everything I had
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
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
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 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“Ayva, how did you-”“Answer my question, Justin!” I snapped before taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. I shouldn’t be getting angry with him, not when he was most likely the only one who could help me find her. “I…” I sucked in a deep air into my lungs. “I just want to know Justin. I need to know where she is and— please,” I grabbed his hand, my desperation evident in my eyes. “Tell me the truth, I promise I won’t get mad.” I wasn’t exactly sure I could keep that promise but it didn’t matter at that moment. I was ready to do anything, say anything to make him tell me what I wanted to hear. He sighed, casting his gaze downwards to his desk before looking up at me again. With a heavy breath, he asked, “How did you find out? Who told you about this?” I shook my head at him in disappointment. “Seeing as you’re avoiding answering my question, that means you knew about it. How long Justin? How long have you known this? How long have you… watched me suffer in silence. W
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
Ayva’s POVI suddenly shot up in bed, startled by a dream that had felt more like a nightmare and had sent cold sweat down my back. My breath came in short gasps, and I was drenched in sweat as if the nightmare had seeped into my waking world.Letting out a heavy sigh, I turned my gaze to the alarm clock resting on the bedside table. It had just ticked past ten. Despite sleeping for nearly ten hours, it felt like only ten seconds had passed since I closed my eyes.I fumbled around the bed, searching for my phone, and finally unlocked it. As I scrolled through my missed calls and messages, a text from my boss caught my eye. He’d asked if I was still interested in being a part of the company or if I’d simply removed myself. At that moment, his message held little significance to me; the thought of losing my job didn't faze me. Instead, my mind lingered on the absence of any message or missed calls from Justin, the one I had been eagerly anticipating.The disappointment that I felt was i
Ayva’s POVBella, with a stern look, asked me, “Are you going to tell me why you were in my husband’s room, why you are in my house, or do I have to call the cops for trespassing.”I felt her gaze pierce through me across the corridor. I guessed I had indeed trespassed. After all neither Justin nor Bella were aware that I was going to drop by."I'm sorry, I was just heading out," I muttered as I made my way towards the stairs.But Bella wasn't letting me off that easy. "I asked you a question," she stated firmly, making me stop and turn to face her. "I think I deserve to know why you were in my husband's room while he was sleeping."Her stress on 'husband' was clear, like she was reminding me she was still married to him and had every right to ‘interrogate me.’ "I mean, you've gotta be a whole new level of shameless to show up here knowing full well that his wife was gonna be home with him," she remarked, taking deliberate steps toward me. "For seven days, my husband was off with you