BLAKE“Fuck!” I yelled into the air, grabbing a handfull of my hair.What the actual fuck was happening? Everything I worked hard to build was crumbling to the ground. I pressed down on the accelerator of my car, increasing the speed. The rage inside me was too much to be contained. I needed an outlet, something to calm me down.The familiar urge to call Chloe bubbled up, but I squashed it instantly. That bitch was the reason my perfect world was falling apart. She’s brought me more harm than good.How dare she send those photos to Ava. I should have known she'd try to destroy me and I knew it was because of the stupid reunion.Earlier that day, my assistant informed me about the high school reunion my previous classmates had planned. Initially, I scoffed at the idea.Why revisit a past where I was nothing but the poor kid scrounging for scraps? But then a delicious thought occurred to me….I could return as a conquering king and show them all who Blake Montgomery had become. Things we
AVAI finally set up all my boxes in my apartment. There was still a lot to do, so I needed to make a proper schedule that would accommodate everything. I decided to get some groceries first so I could have food at home while I worked. In the next hour, I rushed to the grocery store and stuffed my cart with groceries ranging from vegetables, juices, cereals, pastries, and the likes.Finally, I checked out at the counter and drove back home. The supplies were a lot to carry. My fingers were looped through several plastic bags as I struggled to walk through the corridor. I'd been given my own pass card, which allowed me access to most facilities. As I neared the elevator, in the corner of my eyes, I saw Alexander walk towards me.I almost rolled my eyes again, but I didn’t. I never expected that he'd still be around here. We got closer to the elevators and he went first with pressing the button while I struggled with the bags, hoisting one of the heavier ones under my arm.“Hi, I didn’t
AVAAs soon as I arrived at the office, Blake’s assistant came to meet me.“Your presence is being requested at the office, please,” the assistant said.I wondered what this was about this time. If Blake tried to pull anything stupid, he was going to see the other side of me this morning. I stormed across the corridor, annoyed that Blake was the first person I had to see on a wonderful Monday such as this.I reached the office, standing at the doorway while he propped his elbows on the table and clasped his fingers underneath his chin.“Welcome, welcome, have your seat,” he said.“I prefer to stand,” I said dryly.“Suit yourself, then,” he said and leaned back into his chair, watching me.I stared back at him with the same intensity, letting him know I wasn’t happy to be there or anywhere near him as a matter of fact.“I heard you got the contract,” he said, raising a brow.“I did. Thankfully. It was hard trying to get it, but I succeeded.”“Right,” he said dryly, “I’ve contacted Cedr
AVAI'd spent the better part of my afternoon preparing for Cedric's visit. It was I who invited him earlier on. My heart was floating with a kind of pure joy that I had not experienced in quite a long time. But things were changing now. Everything in my life had shifted so dramatically since my first promotion. I now had a company car that now sat in my driveway, my impressively tripled salary, and even my very own personal assistant.Sure, I spent my childhood being surrounded by privilege and never wanted for anything, but this feeling was entirely different and almost intoxicating. This success was mine alone. I earned it by merit and not by privilege, so not a soul could diminish this victory. Not even Blake with all his manipulations, not Chloe with her schemes.I was bubbling around the house as I set up everything like I knew exactly what I was doing. It was a good thing I had hosted Alexander before so I could say I was a bit experienced in impressing a billionaire. The silve
AVAI was conflicted. Seeing Blake here must mean that he frequently visited Grandma and I had no idea what or how to feel about that. He has always treated me horribly, but here he was, acting in front of my grandmother like the perfect gentleman to ever exist. I didn’t think I wanted to be a part of whatever was shoeing inside there as long as Blake was around, so I made the decision to leave before I got noticed.But on turning around, I heard a noisy creak underneath my feet, coming from the loose floorboard of the porch. I immediately noticed how the voices in the house stopped, just as I also kept still until I was sure they weren’t gong to bother about the noise.Then, Blake’s voice boomed. “Who’s there?”I was surprised by how protective he sounded.I cleared my throat. “I wonder why you’re here of all places,” I said, almost rolling my eyes..“Ava?” He said and then there was a pause before I heard the latch open. Blake stuck his face out.When his eyes met mine, he made to s
Sniffling hard, I got up and rushed out of the front door, shaking with fear.Grandma needed to be at the hospital as soon as possible. My heart pounded in my chest, and tears burned my eyes even as I squinted ahead at the driveway as the rain kept pouring down. The spot where I parked my car was empty.I rushed down the porch, instantly getting drenched while I frantically looked around the compound but my car was gone.What the fuck? I shuddered.I ran out of the property to look on the street for some reason I thought I must have been seeing things but there wasn’t anything looking like my car in sight. There was very little time for me to process the mystery because grandma was all that was on my mind.Sprinting over to one of the neighbors’ houses, nearly slipping in the downpour, I pounded on the door.“Help! Anybody! Please, help!” I screamed at the top of my voice, hoping someone would hear me.I pulled my phone out of my pants pockets but it was drenched as well, luckily it w
BLAKEI had the perfect plan in my head. If I wasn't going to get Ava, I could get her through the person she loved most in the world, and that was her grandma.To be honest, it’s been a long time since I saw her Grandma anyway. So that was why I was in her cottage. Everything seemed to be going well so far. At first, I was surprised that Ava would show up—that was never part of the plan. I thought she would figure out my plan and expose me, but she was playing along just well.I discreetly watched her throughout the whole thing. I could see the conflict in her eyes. The greatest advantage I had with Ava was that I'd known her for years. I knew almost everything about her, even though she tried to act tough. I knew the right buttons to press and the right actions to show.So, when I held Grandma's hand, declaring my passionate love for her, I expected her reaction.She walked out of the room and used the washroom as an excuse. But I kne
AVAAlexander was like the guardian angel that God hadsent my way. He always knew the right time to step in and ease the situation. Or…maybe he just felt the tension between Blake and me from a mile away and quickly got me away before I could strangle him with my bare hands. It was kind of a good thing, and not, because I would end up being too indebted to Alexander if he kept coming to my rescue like this everytime.The rain had resumed pouring with loud pitter-patters, the harsh winds whipping my hair around my face. I wrapped my arms around my body, feeling cold already. My stomach turned in uneasy knots and I hadn’t even realized when Alexander shrugged off his suit jacket and slid it over my shoulders, ushering me to the car quickly.He quickly pulled out his car remote control from his pocket and unlocked the vehicle with a bleep control, then pulled the passenger door open for me to get in. I didn’t hesitate one bit, both to get
AVAI slid my sunglasses from my face, hooking them into the neckline of my blouse as I approached the reception desk.The woman behind it smiled at me.“Good morning. How may I help you?”“I'm looking for Annalise Morris. Does she still work here?”The receptionist's smile tightened slightly. “Is there a particular issue I can help you with?”“No issue. I'm a friend of hers.” I returned her smile. “You can just let her know I'm around.”As the receptionist made a call, I turned to survey the lobby.Annalise and I used to be good friends and business partners before Blake's manipulation drove a wedge between us.We worked at the company together and until Blake stepped in and suggested I stepped back to focus on my health. He also kept planting seeds of doubt about Annalise's, which escalated over months until I was convinced my best friend was undercutting me.
AVAI woke up slowly. Then there came the pleasant ache in my muscles.I opened my eyes to find Alexander watching me, his head propped on one hand, dark hair deliciously mussed from sleep and other activities.The morning stubble along his jaw gave him a rougher edge than his usual polished appearance.“Jesus,” I gasped, jerking slightly. “You scared me.”“Sorry.” He smiled but he didn't sound sorry at all.His touched my waist from under the sheets and his thumb traced idle circles on the bare skin above my hip bone.“How long have you been watching me sleep like some kind of gorgeous creep?” I asked, my voice still rough with sleep.“I don't know. Fifteen minutes, maybe.”His eyes traveled over my face with shameless appreciation. “You talk in your sleep.”“I do not,”I answered quickly.“You do. Something about dolp
AVA“What!”Three steps brought him within arm's reach of me.“You heard me,” I replied, feeling strangely detached from the chaos swirling around us.His adam's apple bobbed under the collar of his shirt. “Have you been playing me this entire time?”I laughed. “Don't act like an innocent puppy, Blake. I was only playing your game. The one you taught me when you fucked another woman behind my back for months.”Charles made a strangled sound from somewhere behind Blake.Isabella didn’t really seem surprised because I already told her happened.“You want to know the secret Sara was threatening to expose? I'll tell you myself. I slept with Alexander the night of your father's wedding.”Blake's face went instantly pale.I turned to Isabella with a pang of genuine regret even though I was satisfied to have let that out.“I'm sorry you had to hear this. But that was the same night I caught Blake making out with a married woman on the terrace. I had to leave because I couldn't take it. I got
AVAHis offer wastoo good to be true and too dangerous to ignore. I“Why would you want help me with that?”He answered, “Because unlike you, I've been honest about my feelings from the beginning. And I wouldn't let a woman I love suffer at the hands of someone like Blake when I have the power to stop it.”Love. He loved me…?The word landed like a stone in still water, and it sent ripples through everything I thought I understood about us.I stared at him and there was only raw sincerity in his eyes, which scared me more than any threat could have.The truth was…I did feel something for Alexander.But I never allowed myself to fully acknowledge it or name it or trust it. Even now, standing here soaked to the skin with the taste of him still on my lips, I was afraid to admit how deep it went.“We should…” I swallowed hard, “We should find somewhere to dry off.”Alexander still kept his eyes on me for a while longer before he nodded, although made no move to lead us back toward the vil
AVAMy cheek throbbed the same rhythm with my heartbeat as I walked away from the hospital.How much more could I take? I walked into this situation willingly, eyes wide open, calculating the costs against the potential gains. I believed getting close to Blake again would help me reclaim what belonged to my family. But so much had happened so far that I didn’t even see it coming. Sara's vindictiveness and Blake's violence for example.Maybe there was another way to get my assets back that didn't require subjecting myself to Blake or Sara.The beach ahead of me was empty, save for one solitary figure standing at the edge of the water. I almost turned in another direction, but it wasn’t like Alexander owned the ocean after all.I headed towards the beach but stopped several yards away from him. The waves crashed over the water just as the cool breeze aided my stinging cheek.I didn’t look at Alexander and made sure my eyes were on the horizon where water met sky.I could see him studyin
ALEXANDER“Tell me.”“The test results are out, sir. It's been confirmed that the child she was carrying is not yours,” Matthew said over the phone.I closed my eyes briefly in relief, which was immediately followed by cold anger. Sara nearly succeeded in her plan to hold me hostage with the welfare of an innocent child.“She thought I was a fool,” I said quietly, more to myself than to Matthews.The level of calculation required to orchestrate this deception was quite impressive, if I must admit.I needed to put that woman in her place for good. No child meant no obligation, and no obligation meant Sara would finally face the consequences of her actions.Matthews's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. “There’s a second update, about Ms. Winters.”My attention sharpened instantly. “Go on.”“She’s been digging into Blake finances and financial dealings as of late. Our source at First Capital confirms she's been making discreet inquiries about specific transactions dating back eightee
SARAAlexander scooped Sara into his arms and carried her out of the door. Her face was contorted with pain and fear, her fingers clutching desperately at his shirt. And then they were gone, leaving me standing motionless in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the crimson puddle at my feet.I couldn't process what had just happened. One moment Sara had been threatening me as she laid claim to Alexander and his future. The next, she was screaming, bleeding and collapsing.“Ava?” Isabella's gentle touch on my shoulder made me flinch. “Are you alright?”I nodded mechanically, unable to form words. The kitchen was now filled with people; Blake was hovering uncertainly in the doorway, Charles was already on his phone arranging something and staff appeared with mops and towels.“Come on,” Isabella said, guided me away from the blood.I looked down and realized there were droplets of red on my shoes. I let Isabella lead me to a bathroom where she dampened a cloth and handed it to me.“What
ALEXANDERI had no choice but to bring Sara along. The moment the pregnancy was confirmed, she weaponized it with her subtle threats. She was using this child as leverage, and we both knew it. Despite wanting nothing to do with her personally, she was carrying my child. As much as I hated to admit it, anything that affected her could inadvertently affect the baby.So here we were. I didn’t expect Ava to be here.I saw her sitting with Isabella on the terrace and everything else faded to background noise. She looked beautiful in the morning light, hair loose around her shoulders, dressed simply in linen pants and a sleeveless top. For a split second before she noticed us, she was laughing at something Isabella had said. Then she saw me and the smile just faded.Sara, of course, noticed my reaction and held my arm more tightly. The tension that followed was excruciating. Ava politely distanced herself while I maintained my composure even though I hated it each time Ava averted her eyes
AVAThe seaside villa Blake booked was admittedly spectacular. It was all clean lines and panoramic windows that framed the ocean like living artwork. Not that I'd been in any mood to appreciate it since we arrived three days ago.This morning, Blake and Charles left at dawn for a deep-sea fishing expedition on Charles's yacht. Blake had kissed my forehead before leaving, whispering something about bringing back dinner and I pretended to be half-asleep as I murmured just enough acknowledgement to send him on his way.It wasn’t until the moment their boat disappeared from view that I felt like I could finally breathe.“More coffee?” Isabella's voice distracted me.She stood in the doorway to the terrace, wearing linen pants and a simple blouse that which she looked so elegant in.I gestured to the chair across from me, “Please.”She poured for us both and then settled into the cushioned chair with a contented sigh.“This is my favorite time of day here. Before the heat becomes unbearab