Chapter 3

Elina’s Pov

He turned slowly, finally facing me. 

And I froze. 

His piercing eyes locked onto mine, calm but unreadable. There was something unnerving about his stillness— like a storm waiting for the right moment to erupt.

“You don’t know me?” he asked, his voice low and deep.

My grip tightened on the pepper spray. “Should I?”

He took a few steps forward, unbothered by the fact that he had clearly trespassed. “I came to find you, Ava. You have been running for a long time.”

My heart pounded. What was he saying? Did he come to the wrong house?

“That doesn’t answer my question. Who are you and how did you get inside my house?”

He stopped just a few feet away from me. I could finally see his face clearly under the dim lights of the living room. 

He had a Sharp jawline. Messy black hair. Cold expression.

“I am Ethan Stark, and I entered through the door,” he answered, and he didn't seem moved by anything.

“Well Ethan, it seems you got into the wrong house. So please if you don't mind, you can use the door,” 

“Ava, you don't seem to have found another moneybag since you are staying in a shitty orphanage,”

How dare he call my home a shitty place? This place has been my refuge and safe home. I wanted to answer him but more than that, I wanted to hit the shower really badly. 

I can just get him to leave quickly.

I closed my eyes and counted to 5 to keep me calm.

“Excuse me but I am not Ava and nobody lives here except from me so you got the wrong house,”

“I am absolutely in the right house,” he said and brought out my card from his pocket. 

I jumped to take it from his hand but he moved it higher above his head. 

“How did you get my card?” I asked, my eyes on my card. 

My card was with me yesterday while I went to meet Lily, how did he get it?

“You dropped it while running from your children,” 

Children? 

What nonsense is he spilling from his mouth?

“I have no kids, Mr. Stark, so I know nothing about what you are saying. Please just give me my card,”

He smirked and placed it back in his pocket. 

What the—?

“There isn't much inside anyways, why do you need it desperately after leaving it in the park,”

“I didn't leave it. It must have slipped from my pocket.”

He nodded and sat on the couch, his smirk replaced with a cold look.

“I know because you ran off after seeing your kids”

He is all about kids again. 

I don't know what made him think I have but I don't. 

Instantly my mind went to Camilla and Jay.

“Are you talking about the twins?” I asked.

He looked up at me, his expression unreadable again. “So you do know them.”

“I—” I paused, carefully choosing my words. “I know them, yes. I met them at a Cafe yesterday. But they aren’t mine.”

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, and for the first time, there was something dangerous in his gaze — not violent, but warning.

“They are my children” 

“You are their father?” I gasped, looking at him closely. They didn't look much like him but I can't see Jay's attribute in him. 

Then I remembered something.

It was the same man from the park. The one who had bumped into me and kept walking like I didn’t exist. And now he was in my home, standing like he owned the place.

“What do you want?” I asked.

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pulled out something from his coat— a photo. He handed it to me. My hand trembled as I reached out and looked at it.

It was me… with two kids with me. A photo I didn’t even know existed.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered.

“I didn't come here for you to understand anything. I came here to make you accountable for them,” 

“Accountable?” My voice cracked. “I don’t even know what you're talking about!”

“Seven years ago, you made a great mistake leaving these children to die while you enjoyed your life with some rich guy, and now that I have found you, you are going to pay for it.” I wanted to but in and talk but he continued, stopping me.

“You are going to marry me,”

A laugh escaped my lips as his words registered in my head. I laughed harder, holding my stomach in the process, and the pepper spray and bag in my hand fell.

“Alright, Lily, James— joke’s over. You really outdid yourselves this time. But I know this is all fake,” 

I shouted for them to hear before turning back to the man sitting in front of me. 

“You are really a good actor and you got me,” I said and bent to pick up my bag and spray.

“Do I look like I am here to act Miss. Hart?” He asked, and I halted before rising up, and my eyes met his cold, unreadable ones. He was very close to me.

“I don’t know what you are hiding, Ava, or Elina, or whatever you are calling yourself now. But you are going to marry me and take accountability for your responsibility to your children; they deserve their mother's warmth.” 

My throat dried up. I took a shaky step back.

“You are mistaken.”

He stared at me for a long, cold second, then stepped toward the door.

But just before leaving, he looked over his shoulder.

“You have until tomorrow,” he said, his tone final. “Decide what version of the truth you want to live with— and say yes. Or you will lose the one thing you can’t afford to.”

Then he walked out, the door clicking shut behind him.

I stood frozen, gripping the photo in my hand. My heart raced, and my thoughts spun.

 I didn’t know what scared me more— the picture in my hand that I knew nothing about, the stranger who seemed to know too much… or the version of me he believed in.