로그인AVERY WINTERSAs my eyes slowly fluttered open, the very first thing I saw was Bernard's face hovering above mine.His brows were deeply furrowed, and his eyes were filled with so much worry that my heart instantly skipped a beat.“Babe… you’re awake,” he whispered softly, his voice still laced heavily with concern and relief at the same time.“Ben…” I called weakly as I attempted to sit up immediately, but he quickly stopped me by gently pressing his hand against my shoulder.However, I was far too stubborn to simply lie there quietly without knowing what was going on.I slowly pushed myself upward despite his protest and looked around the room in confusion.“What happened to me?” I asked anxiously. “And… how did I get here?”I could vividly remember fainting earlier, but what I didn’t understand was why it even happened in the first place.It’s not like I’m sick… right?The thought instantly made uneasiness worry settle deep inside my chest.“What happened, Ben?” I asked again, this
AVERY WINTERS “It’s honestly hard to believe that Aaron actually turned out to be Bernard biological son,” Scarlet said in complete disbelief over the phone.“So how exactly is Bernard reacting to all of this now?” Ivy chimed in.I sighed heavily before leaning back into my chair tiredly.“Well…” I trailed off slowly. “I honestly don’t even know how to explain it properly. Ever since he returned from the hospital, he’s been acting strangely.”I rubbed my forehead lightly before continuing.“Right now, as we’re speaking, he’s inside his study burying himself completely in work.”“If I were in his position, I would probably do the exact same thing,” Charlotte admitted immediately. “Just give him some time, Avery. He will eventually come around.”“You really think so?” I asked uncertainly. “Because honestly, I’m confused. He should be happy about this, shouldn’t he? I don’t understand why he’s still so moody.”“You need to understand what he’s going through emotionally,” Scarlet said so
AVERY WINTERS“Oh my goodness…” I gasped out in complete shock.The paper slipped right out of my fingers and fluttered onto the floor as both of my hands flew toward my mouth instinctively. My eyes widened so much that they almost popped out of its socket. For a moment, my entire body froze from disbelief before I regain my composure back.“Dear, what does it say?” Rose asked immediately, her voice filled with concern as she stared at my shocked expression. “Why do you look so startled? Is Aaron really not Bernard's child?”I quickly bent down, picked up the report with shaky hands, and looked back at her with tears already welling up in my eyes.“He’s… he’s truly Bernard's son, Mom,” I whispered softly. “Aaron truly carries Bernard's blood in his veins.”I handed the paper over to her immediately as those words left my mouth.Rose calmly collected the document from me and carefully went through the result herself. Surprisingly, unlike me, she remained completely composed. There was
AVERY WINTERS NEXT MORNINGMorning came far earlier than usual for the both of us.Normally, he would wake up around 6:30 every morning, but today, by exactly five o’clock, he was already awake and getting dressed.Honestly, I doubted he had gotten any sleep at all throughout the night.I remained silent and simply watched him quietly as he prepared himself. I knew his mind was restless, and there was nothing I could say right now that would calm the storm raging inside him completely.Once he finished dressing up, he walked toward me and stopped directly in front of the bed.“You’re leaving this early?” I asked softly, my sleepy voice barely above a whisper. “It’s not even six o’clock yet, Bernard. At least wait until the weather clears up a little.”“That’s exactly why I need to leave now,” he replied immediately. “I need to get this over with once and for all. I just… I don’t know anymore, Avery.”His voice sounded tired, anxious, and emotionally drained.“Do you want me to come w
AVERY WINTERS THREE MONTHS LATERBernard and I arrived home at the same time, and the moment we stepped inside the mansion and made our way upstairs to our bedroom, we both decided to take a shower. The entire house was quiet and calm, wrapped in the stillness of the late night, and honestly, all I wanted was to crawl into bed beside my husband and sleep peacefully in his arms.The moment he walked out of the bathroom with only a towel hanging loosely around his waist, a sudden knock echoed through the room.Both of us immediately turned toward the door at the exact same time, exchanging confused glances because we were not expecting anyone at this hour. It was already very late into the night, and neither Bernard nor I had invited anyone over.“Who’s that?” Bernard asked coldly, his deep voice sharp and controlling.I instantly noticed the slight change in his mood again. Ever since we returned home earlier, he had been unusually quiet and distant. In fact, his mood started shiftin
AVERY WINTERS Finally, peace had returned to the house.For the first time in a long while, the mansion no longer felt suffocating or filled with hidden tension. Everywhere felt calmer, lighter… cleaner. It was almost as though the bad omen that had been hanging over this house for months had finally disappeared together with Hazel.Now that she was gone, we could finally focus on something else— the spies she had planted all over the places and within the mansion itself.Although Bernard had already managed to fish out many of them, deep down, I still believed there were more hiding among us.And if there truly were more traitors left, then we would definitely deal with every single one of them.“So, what’s next now?” Charlotte asked curiously.I smiled softly before grabbing her hand and gently caressing her arm.“What else besides your wedding?” I asked teasingly. “It’s already around the corner, and we absolutely cannot afford to make any mistakes.”“Avery is right,” Harper immed
AVERY WINTERS"The car is ready," he announced, his voice smooth as usual. Bernard nodded, his expression stoic. "I will be down shortly with Avery. You can go ahead," he ordered, his tone firm.Lucas bowed again and left, and as the door shut, he turned to me with a soft smile spreading across hi
AVERY WINTERS"I swear, I hate him," Bernard hissed.I chuckled, shaking my head, my hands still wrapped around his neck.We both knew that wasn't true. But in this moment, he would say anything to make himself better. "Come on, Bernard, don't be like this. I'm still here, right?" I said, locking
BERNARD REED"Is this still because of Hazel?" Ezra asked, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "I guessed right, right? She's the reason why you can't tell your girl how you truly felt about her?" He asked again, his eyes widened in surprise, as he pointed his index finger at me.I know he's right, but
AVERY WINTERS"Is this... Is this real? Or did someone else take your form? I can't even understand you. Just last night, you didn't love me, but now, you suddenly do? How is that even possible? What changed?" I bombarded him with questions, my mind struggling to understand him."Nothing changed, A







