Nobela ni Ammund

AVA’S POV The café wasn’t busy, just a few quiet souls scattered across small tables sipping coffee or staring into their phones. The place had a warm smell — cinnamon and brewed espresso — the kind that usually calmed my nerves. I paused by the entrance, eyes scanning the room until I saw someone wave. I took a few steps forward and my chest tightened a bit. It was Cindy. She looked flawless, like always. Sleek ponytail, soft makeup, and expensive clothes. I managed a small smile and walked over. “Hey,” I greeted as I pulled out the chair opposite her. Her smile was wide, but I couldn’t tell if it was friendly or forced. “Ava, wow. You look… amazing. Seriously, what are you wearing? You look like a Vogue model.” I laughed softly. “Thanks. Just threw something on.” That was a lie, of course. I’d changed twice before leaving the house. I just felt like looking extra good today. She leaned in a little. “I know you’re probably surprised I called. But remember that time I s

AVA'S POV After the whole flower drama and Cindy’s unexpected call, I found myself craving a different kind of conversation — something that didn’t involve confusing men or hidden intentions. So, I turned to Sally, hoping to lighten the mood, or at least change it. “So…” I said, turning in my chair to face her. “How are things going between you and Jace?” She raised her eyebrows, caught off guard. “Jace?” I nodded, smirking a little. “Yes. Jace. The guy who flew you all the way to Switzerland for a vacation and still hasn’t made things official.” She sighed, walked over to the couch, and dropped down like she’d been holding that breath for days. “Honestly? I don’t even know,” she muttered, pulling her hair up into a messy bun. “It’s like… we’re close, but not close enough. I mean, he treats me like a queen — flights, gifts, surprise lunch dates. But he still hasn’t said anything clear.” I frowned. “You mean he hasn’t asked you to be his girlfriend?” “Exactly,” she said,

AVA'S POV Days had passed since Julian was buried. The day I heard the news still felt a little blurry. I was caught off guard at the kids’ birthday party when Michael told me he had committed suicide in his cell. It had hit me like a splash of cold water, but that was all. Just shock. There were no tears, no ache, and that said a lot. We were never close, Julian and I. Even before everything — the lies, the kidnapping, the fear — there had always been this distance between us. I don’t know if he ever really saw me as family. Maybe he did at one point. Or maybe I just wanted to believe that. Either way, after the initial news wore off, I didn’t feel much afterwards. Life moved on. Work didn’t stop. The kids needed me. My thoughts were too crowded with other things — with Jason, with Michael, with Alex… God. It was like my heart had become some kind of messy intersection, and everyone wanted to drive through at once. That morning, I sat in my office, scrolling through some new

JASON’S POVI knew Ava. Maybe not like I used to, not the way I did when we were married, but I still knew her heart.Three years of marriage don’t just disappear from your memory. You don’t forget the way someone breathes when they’re anxious, or how they fake a smile when everything’s falling apart. I knew how soft she was, how deeply she felt things even when she pretended not to. So when she said she wanted to be alone after hearing about Julian’s death… I understood.Even after everything he’d done to her — after the damage, the pain, the years of trauma he left behind — he was still her uncle. Still her blood. And now… she had no one. No more family. No roots left to hold on to.I watched her walk into the house quietly, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like she was holding in a scream. She didn’t cry. Didn’t say a word. She just faded inside the house like a shadow slipping out of the sun.Sally didn’t say anything. She just looked at me for a moment, her eyes soft with

JASON'S POV I stood there like an idiot, juice box still in my hand, fingers squeezing it tight. My jaw clenched. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Could barely breathe. I looked away fast, like if I blinked hard enough, I could unsee it. My chest felt tight. I turned and walked back toward the backyard, slow but steady, like nothing had happened. But inside? I was boiling. I didn’t know what I was supposed to feel. Anger? Jealousy? Regret? Maybe all of it. All I knew was that something inside me cracked. The party kept going around me – kids laughing, balloons bobbing in the wind, music playing low from a speaker someone had shoved near the porch. But I wasn’t there anymore. Not really. My mind was spinning somewhere else entirely. I found myself near the bouncy castle, not sure how I ended up there. The kids were still full of energy, bouncing, screaming, and giggling like they’d just had candy injected straight into their veins. Emma and Mason were with a few of their

JASON’S POV It’s been weeks since that day. The one with the sirens, the gunshots, the screaming. The day we thought we’d lost the kids for good. Emma and Mason made it out alive, thank God. But what happened to them… you don’t just bounce back from that even some grown-ups would struggle with it let alone kids. I’ve been showing up every few days to check in, see them, maybe bring a toy or two. Ava’s always polite, even when she’s tired. Which is often. She’s been doing everything she can to help the kids feel safe again. New routines, hugs, keeping them close. Sometimes when I visit, I see their drawings taped to the fridge – sunshine, stick figures, a dog that looks more like a potato. It’s all bright and cheerful, but you can still feel the heaviness in the air. Today’s a little different though. It’s their birthday. Turns out both of them were born on the same date, just a year apart. Weird, right? Ava’s throwing a party in her backyard – nothing too crazy. Just the k

Leo claimed her mouth in a kiss that was rough and filled with longing, devouring her like a hungry wolf that had been starved for days. Amelia matched his intensity, intertwining her fingers in his hair while moaning between the kisses. His hands moved up her body, exploring every inch as if he had been waiting for this moment forever and had finally gotten the opportunity. She gasped when his fingers brushed her nipple, which was already hard and longing to be licked and devoured by his mouth. She could feel the hardness of his desire pressing against her, only intensifying her own need. “You drive me crazy Amelia Smith,” he murmured against her lips. “I miss you and I don’t want to hold back tonight. I want every part of you baby girl.” “Then don’t hold back,” she quickly replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I’m all yours, claim me, Daddy.” Her words made his hormones rise even further. Without breaking the kiss, he hurriedly lifted her and carried her t

The next day, the news spread online that Sophia committed suicide by hanging herself in prison. It felt strange and heavy but for Amelia, it meant a bitter-sweet relief. She woke up with a slight headache, the sunlight streaming through the curtains. Last night memories flooded through her mind—Leo's warm embrace, his apology and reassurance, the soft kiss that stirred long-hidden feelings. Her cheeks warmed and the color turned a shade of pink. She reached out for Leo who was already awake, sitting against the headboard with a look of concern etched on his face. “Morning, beautiful,” he said softly, studying her face for any signs of distress. “Morning,” Amelia replied, blushing and rubbing her temples. “What happened last night? I remember bits and pieces.” That was a lie, she remembered every single detail but just wanted to play innocent. Leo smiled gently. “You had a little too much fun celebrating your aunt's recovery. But it was a good night for us.” Ame

A month later, Aunt Elsa’s condition had stabilized. The surgical wound had nearly healed, and all that was left was some aftercare. Once home, she could take her medication and recuperate slowly without needing further hospitalization. Early that morning, Amelia went to the hospital to handle Aunt Elsa’s discharge procedures. In the hospital room, Aunt Elsa was sitting on the bed, watching TV. Seeing Amelia come in, Aunt Elsa smiled and said, “You’re just in time. Come and see this.” She pointed to the TV. Curious, Amelia looked over and saw the news playing. A familiar face appeared on the screen, and the host’s flat, detached voice filled the room. “Recently, the sensational murder case has concluded. The primary culprit, Sophia Jones, has been found guilty of her crime." "Due to the severity and serial nature of the case, she has been sentenced to life imprisonment.” Amelia blinked rapidly, her thoughts swirling as she tried to process the news. Life imprisonm

That night, Aunt Elsa woke up. Blake checked on her and found her condition better than he had expected. Perhaps Amelia’s persistence had truly moved the heavens, as the cancer cells had cleared, and even the memory loss Blake had anticipated wasn’t present. It all seemed too good to be true. When Amelia heard the news, she was naturally overjoyed. Leo also heard about Elsa’s successful surgery. He didn’t say much, but that night, he quietly ordered the kitchen to prepare a few extra dishes, silently celebrating Elsa’s recovery. Amelia had agreed to marry Leo to secure Blake’s help for Aunt Elsa. Now that Aunt Elsa was nearly healed, Amelia realized her relationship with Leo was a temporary fix. She knew she had to find a way to completely cut ties with him. That night, Amelia decided to cook a few dishes herself. To prevent anyone from interrupting her plan, she sent the children out with Eleven for the night. Then, she dismissed the household staff Leo had hired for th

As Inspector Ralph led Sophia to the police station, her heart raced with a mix of fear and disbelief.Soon, they arrived, and one of the officers led her into the interrogation room and gestured towards a chair, "Miss Jones, please take a seat. Inspector Ralph will be here shortly."With that he left, leaving her all alone in the room. The cold, bare room did nothing to calm her racing heart it only made her heart beat faster with each passing second.The walls were painted a dull gray, and the only light was a flickering fluorescent bulb that buzzed overhead. The smell of cleaning products filled the air, making her even more anxious.She never imagined that one day she would end up in this kind of situation. She stood up to reduce the pacing of her heart and her trembling fingers.Soon, the door opened and Inspector Ralph walked in. Sophia sat down, trying to stay calm and composed. "What kind of nightmare is this?" She thought. "Can I wake up already?" She pinched herself and

She said in a calm voice, “You didn’t do anything wrong, and I don’t need your apology.” Once, those words had been what she wanted most, but now they meant nothing to her. The bitterness of the past clung to her like a heavy fog. She’d never considered forgiving him, so how could she accept it? After Amelia finished speaking, Leo felt a tightening in his chest. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration coursing through him as he processed the weight of her words. “Don’t say that. We were all kept in the dark before. Now that the truth is out, you know I didn’t do those things on purpose, right?” he said quickly, his voice rising slightly. Amelia sneered. “Yes, you didn’t do it on purpose, but can the pain I suffered over the years be forgotten? Leo, you didn’t personally send someone to kill us, but back then, you did divorce me because of Sophia, didn’t you?” “I can’t hate you, but I can never forgive you. We can’t pretend those years never happened. Neither you nor I c

LAUREN'S POV The moment I saw who was standing in front of me, my entire body went cold. My stomach turned violently, like I’d swallowed acid. A wave of nausea rushed through me, and my skin began to crawl as if it were trying to escape my own bones. My hand twitched uncontrollably by my side, an involuntary reaction from the anger bubbling inside me. I had to clench my fists tightly to stop myself from acting on the violent thought already forming in my head, grabbing the nearest object and smashing it into her face over and over until the rage inside me was gone. There she stood, Sofia. Ethan’s mistress. The woman who had destroyed everything. I hadn’t seen her since that day at the office, the day I’d come face-to-face with the cold reality of the betrayal that had shattered my world. Back then, it took every ounce of self-control I had to not break down in front of her. And now, she had the audacity to show up here, in front of me, uninvited and unannounced. It was like she w

LAUREN'S POV I sat there, staring blankly at the dinner right in front of me. It had been twenty-four hours since I lost Elena, yet somehow, her memory clung to me like a second skin I couldn’t peel off. The food looked warm and inviting, but to me, it might as well have been ashes. Tessa’s voice floated around me, sometimes faint, sometimes sharp enough to pierce through the heavy fog that wrapped itself around my mind. She was scolding me again, just like she always did whenever I lost myself too deeply in grief. “I swear, Lauren, do you want to starve yourself to death?” she snapped, her tone carrying both frustration and worry. It was the word death that finally pulled me back, made me lift my eyes from the untouched food. Death felt so close now, almost like an old friend beckoning me. My only joy had gone there why couldn’t I follow? I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. My chest felt hollow, and the heaviness in my heart weighed every breath down. Just then, the

ETHAN'S POV I woke up before dawn, but for the first time in my life, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. The room felt impossibly large and unbearably quiet, the silence pressing down on me like a thousand tons of steel. My pillow was still damp from tears I didn’t remember shedding, and my chest felt hollow, as though something vital had been ripped away from inside me. I turned my head to the side, and my eyes fell on Elena’s blue blanket. I folded on the nightstand, though there were still traces of blood on it, but I didn’t care about that, the blanket was the one thing Elena cared about the most, Lauren must have brought it yesterday… before everything fell apart. My throat tightened painfully, and I pressed a fist against my mouth to keep from crying out loud. Yesterday. God. Just yesterday. My little girl. My only daughter. Gone. I had imagined so many things for her future. Her first day at college. Teaching her to ride a bike. Walking her down the aisle on her weddin

TESSA'S POVI didn’t even realize my legs had gone numb from kneeling on the cold floor until Ethan’s voice cut through the air like a blade.“Get her out of here!” he barked, his voice hoarse, raw with something between grief and rage. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins around his temples standing out.Lauren stayed frozen in my arms, her cheek pressed against my shoulder, her tears soaking through the fabric of my shirt. I could feel the faint, hollow tremor of her sobs as she kept whispering the same words over and over under her breath, “My baby… my baby…”At first, she barely seemed to hear Ethan. But then he came closer, his footsteps heavy and angry on the tiled floor. His shadow fell over us, and even before I looked up, I could feel the heat of his anger radiating like fire.“I said get out!” he shouted, his voice cracking at the end, as though grief had tightened its grip around his throat.Lauren didn’t even flinch. It was like her mind and soul were somewhere else, locked

SOFIA'S POV I had gotten home from the hospital when the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by something sweeter, something warmer. Victory. Everything had gone exactly as planned. Almost too perfectly. I stepped out of my shoes in the hallway, my feet aching a little from how quickly I had rushed out earlier, but it didn’t matter now. I placed my handbag on the table, took a deep breath, and smiled to myself. The house felt different tonight. Lighter, calmer. As if the very air could sense that a nuisance had been removed from our path. I walked over to the window and drew the curtains halfway, letting the glow of the evening lights spill across the living room. My heart still pounded in my chest — not from fear, but from excitement. Relief. Finally, things were falling into place. My phone buzzed, breaking the silence. It was Vee. “On my way, babe.” Perfect. She never kept me waiting. I sent her a quick reply, telling her the door would be unlocked for her, and walked over

LAUREN'S POV I sat there in the pool of blood, still holding my sweet child’s body in my arms. My heart felt as though it had been ripped out of my chest and crushed into dust. I kept trying to convince myself that she wasn’t gone, that any moment now her little chest would rise and fall, that her warm brown eyes would flutter open, that she’d look at me and smile the way she always did. But reality was cruel, and it stared me right in the face. My eyes had turned red and swollen from endless crying, and tears kept falling no matter how hard I tried to stop them. My head ached so terribly it felt as if it might split open, but the pain inside my chest was far worse, something no medicine could ever cure. My hands were shaking violently as I clung to her, afraid that if I let go, I’d truly have to accept that she was gone. My dress was soaked through with her blood, clinging to my skin and heavy against my body, but I didn’t care about that, not even for a moment. It had been over t