Eve
When Eve entered her twin's room the morning after that memorable bachelorette party, her parents were storming out of the luxurious hotel bathroom.
"How can she disappear on the morning of her own wedding? Mr. Stark will end us all!"
Eve had come to ask her twin about the handsome stranger Eve had kissed in her drunken state. Her memory was still scattered from the night before.
She shouldn't have taken that powerful vodka.
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson searched under the bed and different bags as if their beloved daughter would appear from there.
Finally, Mr. Wilson gave up and slumped into the bed, his eyes wary.
"What do we do, Denise? She withdrew all the money as she left."
Denise Wilson screamed on hearing that, and placed her hands on her head as if it were the end of the world.
Eve was confused, but she held herself from reminding her parents that they were yet to see her since three years ago.
She hadn't expected her classy parents to come to the airport and pick her up after a long journey from Britain yesterday, but she had expected a little excitement at least.
Well, bugger it all.
"Shouldn't we be worried about how she's doing? She may have been abducted or just having cold feet." Eve decided to butt in, but her mother looked at her and started laughing humorlessly.
"You don't get cold feet after signing a billion dollar contract. What? She ran away with it all! Our company will be pulled down and I would have to sell all my diamonds!"
Eve resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her mother, and focused instead on dialing her sister's number.
It was there on the table, killing the hope Eve had held.
Eve walked towards the luxurious table which smelt of different expensive perfumes. There was a piece of note slid underneath the phone.
'Sorry, dad, mum. I just can't do this, take care of Zoe.'
As she stared at the paper which hadn't even mentioned her name, Eve felt those years of her twin sister's selfishness return with full force.
She had left her infant behind, and as a daycare teacher, Eve considered it the worst crime ever.
Minutes later, their mother saw the paper in her palms and cried out in a louder voice, but their father hushed her.
"Shh, someone might hear us!"
Just on cue, the doorbell went off and her parents started panicking again.
"Oh dear, what if Mr. Stark already knows that she bailed? We will be paupers by evening, and to think that Ava didn't leave a dime behind!"
Eve had to get out of her parents' presence or she would go crazy. It reminded her of why she had left home in the first place and flown all the way to another continent for three years.
Three miserable years of failed relationships.
One problem at a time, she calmed herself down and threw the door open, blinking in surprise as a beautiful young lady smiled at her.
"Happy wedding day to you! Let's get you all prepped for those beautiful pictures!"
What? Whoever this lady was? She thought she was Ava!
Before Eve could correct them, she had walked in with a train of people bearing large boxes, her parents had walked briskly out of the room to join them in the spacious living room.
It was the kind of hotel room Eve had slept in last night after kissing that stranger with the most delectable lips.
"Oh... Mrs. Wilson, Mr. Wilson, I will make Ava the most beautiful bride and take the best pictures!"
The woman was saying again, and when Eve stepped forward to correct that assumption, her mother started speaking rapidly.
"I know right? Let me take her to the bathroom for a sweet mother-daughter talk."
What the heck was her mother doing?
She was being dragged into the bathroom and her father was flashing that fake mischievous smile as if he had won the lottery.
As soon as the bathroom door was slammed shut, Mrs. Wilson turned to her. "You have to dress up as your sister. Sure it will be difficult to convince people that you are the superstar model but still..."
What?
"Hell no!" Eve screamed, but her mother hushed her.
"Yes! If not, your father and I will have to give up the company and we will be charged for theft! The Stark family is brutal!"
"And you want me to deceive them so they can kill me once they find out?" Eve countered her mother. Had they all gone insane?
Before she could get the opportunity to say anything else, her mother had covered her eyes and started sobbing.
"We will be out in the streets and disgraced for everyone to laugh at us. Things haven't been so good at the company, that's why your father and I were grateful for this marriage."
Eve hated that her mother's fake tears still got to her after all these years. No, she had to stand her ground. She had learnt a thing or two about manipulation in psychology class.
"So you sold Ava like a priced pig?"
Had her sister been unhappy? Eve had always assumed she had it all and her cold-hearted twin had acted like the world revolved around her.
At that, her mother slid to the cold floors, raising her eyes upwards. "Oh please! Ava came up with the plan to hold down Mr. Stark using the kid. We were all supposed to have a share in the money and now she's made away with it all!"
Eve felt dizzy with disgust. How could her parents and her sister do this?
She wasn't going to be part of this.
And so like she had done three years ago when she boarded the flight to England, she shook her head at her mother.
"No, mum. I will never be a part of this scheme."
"Wait! Eve!"
She ignored her mother and opened the door, but as she made to walk out on everyone and take the next flight back to her home, a little child she hadn't noticed before slid off the arms of a new face and crawled towards her, incomplete teeth widening as she saw Eve.
"Ma...ma!"
The little girl's eyes were unmistakeably blue like Ava's, but that was also like Eve's.
As she wondered what to say, staring at that adorable creature who spread her little arms in eagerness to meet her, the younger girl who had been carrying her muttered.
"Oh my God! This is baby Zoe's first word!"
Eve had long stopped dreaming of her own perfect wedding; her failed relationships had taught her that.But here she was, walking down the most beautiful aisle in the type of ball dress she had fantasized about, and it wasn't even hers.She kept her eyes on the tiny infant she was doing this for, one year old Zoe had been dressed up as the flower girl and she radiated so much joy as the music went off the keyboard.'Here comes the bride...' But all Eve could hear was, 'Here comes the fake bride who will be off to England immediately after this sham.' Her parents would have to handle the rest. She took in the many cameras and reporters from various magazines, grateful for the veil concealing her face as she held tightly to her father's arm.Sadly, it was the closest she had come to her parents in years and it was all an act. Somehow, Eve's eyes wandered towards the crowd as she searched for that mysterious man with the most beautiful golden pupils. But her legs halted as her searc
"Oh, you're here." Alessandro's mother said coldly, adjusting her long designers' dress."Alessandro is waiting for you upstairs." The father added, and none of them seemed bothered by the crying baby.Unaware of what to say to them, Eve nodded and went for the baby, her heart skipping as the soft baby fragrance filled her nostrils, burying her face in the tiny baby's hair. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay." She hushed Zoe who had started to calm down, every part of her going out to the tiny bundle of joy her sister had made.And abandoned."Hey, you don't want to keep my son waiting, or are you just trying to avoid signing the prenup? A billion dollar wasn't enough for your greedy family?" What the fuck? Eve was a sweet soul, but no one talked about her family that way even if it was true. She took a glance at Alessandro's mother who had uttered those words, and focused her attention on patting the baby's back softly. Soon Zoe was burping and letting out a loud laughter. "Just hand it
In Paris, the city of love, Eve sat somewhere in an empty vacation house staring at the Eiffel tower from a distance.She had imagined going there for her honeymoon with Seth, but the only proposal she had got from him was a revelation that he was gay but could still marry her if 'she insisted on it.'As if she had lost all dignity.For a whole year she had blamed herself for their lack of chemistry and felt like a cold fish in bed.That relationship had ended a month before she left for her sister's wedding along with her dreams of finding the right one.And now she was in an expensive house which came with luxurious installations like a pool, impersonating her sister. All alone with the baby, Sonia the nanny and housekeepers.Alessandro had left immediately after alighting from the limo which had picked them up on arriving in the private jet.Everything was luxurious and yet so lonely.Eve didn't like anything in her sister's phone or any of the skimpy dresses that the housekeeper h
The new Mrs. Stark who alighted from the Stark private jet was a different person.She wasn't the dumb selfish model who had used a kid to marry Mr. Stark.But she was no longer the Ms. Goody Two Shoes who had never been acknowledged by her parents.Not since she learnt the full terms of the marriage contract! "What are you waiting for? Get in, I have a meeting..."Alessandro Stark started in that impatient tone, but was interrupted when his new wife raised her palm, halting his words.Then she adjusted her sunshades, her diamond ring shimmering on her finger. "I won't ride with you. I will take a cab if I have to." She had felt bad for Alessandro who had been manipulated into marriage, but he wasn't innocent in the scheme either!Besides, he had spent their honeymoon in the arms of different women and returned at night smelling like feminine cologne.He hadn't even cared about the headline he had made in a club, surrounded by women!He was going out of his way to disgrace her in t
Alessandro Stark was kissing her!The mysterious man she had struggled to keep off her mind,He hated her as much as she now despised him after the discovery she made,But it didn't make his lips any less explosive.Her stomach fluttered as her creamy cheeks flushed red, her eyes fluttered shut and a soft moan hummed beneath her breath. It was tender at first, seductive and teasing, but soon it was desperate and punishing.The same way she wanted him.Her palms were in his shoulders and he had her against the wall, the ridges of the hard wall of his muscles rubbing against her.Talk about being between walls."Hmm..." He muttered in a low growl, cradling that delicate face with high cheek bones as he suckled her plump pink lips.They were softer and she smelt of baby powder and a faint feminine perfume which was familiar and memorable.As realisation suddenly hit him, he tore his lips from hers, watching her lust-filled gaze as she came to terms with reality.Her beauty at that momen
The funeral was in a Buddhist temple; Eve's eyes were red at the end when her lovely grand aunt was cremated. But her children were at the other end of the temple, taking pictures and faking tears when the video camera got to them. How disrespectful to the great Aunt Rebecca! As soon as the ceremony was over, Eve dragged her weak body to the altar and made merit. Then she was about to leave when a familiar young man with sharp green eyes and crisply ironed suit blocked her path. "Ms. Wilson... I'm sorry, Mrs. Stark?" Oh, he obviously thought she was Ava. But he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "I know it's you, Eve. It's just me, Leonardo." Eve's eyes widened as recognition kicked in. "Wow, little Leonardo! You've grown! But how..." Well, he wasn't little anymore with trimmed beard and wide shoulders. He was handsome, but he didn't come close to Alessandro whom she needed to stop thinking about. "Erhm, Mrs. Johnson Rebecca talked to me before she died. I'm actu
"Your husband is still adamant on setting up a meeting with you, he came himself to the company!" Eve was feeling more accomplished these days as she listened to Leonardo's daily report. "Really? Tell him I've agreed to a meeting tomorrow." She replied the attorney who was also a childhood friend.And knowing her as much as he did, Leonardo was surprised. "You want to expose yourself now?" And Eve smiled mischievously. "In his dreams."She would derive so much joy standing him up.And she knew this already because her heart had been filled with a new kind of amusement each night she watched him pace the expansive hallway and make different calls.At least he didn't reek of feminine perfumes anymore."Oh you evil mince. I will have your assistant forward you more documents." "Okay, thanks, Leonardo." Then the green-eyed attorney hung up. With a smile of satisfaction, Eve sashayed out of her room and perched her waist against the wall, watching as her beloved husband made yet anoth
Eve's heart stopped for a whole second! "You would go all the way to f*ck this boy just to ruin my family?" She had mixed feelings, but her heartbeat had resumed, fast as her trembling fingers. But then she narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. Of course, the bastard Alessandro Stark would think she was having sex with the attorney. It would never occur to him that she was capable of being the owner of the company. Of all the arrogant! "Perhaps. Or maybe he was just too good in bed to ignore." Eve would wonder later, why she baited him with those words. But his golden irises darkened; challange and rage and desire filling his pupils. His fingers tightened around the phone, so tight she could see the veins of his long beautiful palms. "You would f*ck anything that can give you money anyway, Ava. For a moment, I seem to have forgotten that." Was that disappointment and betrayal in his voice? Taking one last hard look at her, Alessandro threw her phone on t