All Chapters of Entangled in the TWINS' WEB. : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

"You have a lot of explanation to do, young lady!" Richard thundered the moment she stepped into the mansion hallway, the heels of her shoes echoing their resonance on the glassy marble floor; she had hardly entered when he starting lashing out at her "Dad," Eva began with growing difficulty.”"Do not attempt to justify yourself!" His cold, icy eyes appeared to narrow further as he jerked toward his study. "Follow me. Now."She hauled hard up into the top of her mouth with her jaw and clamped it shut to avoid snapping at anyone. This wasn't going to go well and she knew it all the way from when that phone had rung. Samantha's face swam across her brain, smirking. Her gut flipped a turn and the concrete leg weights trailed along behind her father as she padded after him into the study.Leather and stale whiskey thickened the air with a heavy quality, testament to Richard's control. He moved behind his big mahogany desk, the fingers of one hand closing over the edge, as if he held onto

Eva stepped into the coolness of the bathroom, shutting the door softly behind her. She stood a moment leaning against the sink, staring at her reflection. The water of her shower was so hot, nearly scalding, and yet she could still feel the chill in her bones from the emotional weight she had carried through the day. Everything had gone by now in a blur: of discussions, confrontations, and unspoken fears; the schemes and threats of Samantha and icy indifference of her father; the surprise meeting with Norman-all had at last wearied her and detached her from the world.Their encounter at the café, especially with Norman, had stuck in her head as some disturbing thought that would never let itself be dissipated. Why had he reached out after everything that had gone down? And why, despite every screaming warning in her gut, was she torn between helping him and keeping herself as far away from him as possible? She didn't know, and that ignorance weighed heavily upon her, adding to the t

Eva sat at the counter, staring blankly as her mother bustled about the kitchen. Honestly, nothing seemed the same anymore. She had spent the last few weeks trying to hold it all together, her relationship with Shawn, Samantha's games with the company, and now it was all starting to unravel. The weight of everything, trying to be perfect, being the person everyone expected her to be, was suffocating her."You need to eat," Eleanor said, breaking her from her thoughts. She set a plate in front of Eva-a comforting dish of mashed potatoes, roast chicken, and steamed vegetables, Eva's favorite, the one she used to request whenever she was feeling down.Eva watched the food steaming on the plate, her tummy growling, though somehow she couldn't take the meals. Being comforted by her mother was all good and well, but it did nothing for what was going on inside Eva's chest.“Mom, I don't know how to make things right," Eva said in a barely audible voice. "I just felt like everything has falle

They both sat in silence for a while before Ryan resumed his chaotic packing. Eva stared at him, trying to process his words. “And then what? You’re just going to walk away from everything you’ve built?”"What choice do I have?" he spat, frustration now at its brim. "I lied, Eva. I fudged all that I had. I have no defense, I can't redeem that." She took a step closer with the words, "That isn't true. You make errors, yes, but it doesn't put a stop to your life. There's always a solution. There's always a path forward ”Ryan laughed bitterly, then shook his head. "You sound just like your old man.”Eva tensed, ever conscious of her father, the shadow across both their lives. "What does my dad have to do with this?""You don't think he'll find out soon?" Ryan challenged, raising his voice. "You don't think he'll judge me, like he's always judging everyone else? He might be your dad, but to me, he's my freaking nightmare.Eva’s chest tightened. Their fathers, brothers by blood, couldn’

Shawn was knuckling down onto the wheel on his way home. His jaws clenched as if in a vice-the rhythmic hum of tires in motion did nothing to stop the storm brewing inside his head. Norman's words replayed over and over in his brain like a broken record, their syllables wrenching the knife deeper into his chest with each ticking second that passed by.‘What really happened in Italy?’‘Ask your wife instead.’Shawn snorted under his breath and shook his head, the action an unconscious attempt to loosen the persistent voice in his skull. “It's Norman,” he tried to reassure himself, “He's just stirring trouble, like always.” But no matter how hard Shawn tried, the seed had been planted, and it began to grow far faster than Shawn was able to control.The memory of Ava telling him about meeting Norman in Italy resurfaced. She was hesitant, claiming she didn't remember because Norman didn't actually leave a mark before saying they just met at a party but didn't relate much. And Shawn had b