LOGINBERNARD REED I furrowed my brows deeply as I stared at her in confusion.“What are you doing?” I asked cautiously.“I... you can’t... I want... I-I...” she stuttered nervously, completely unable to form a proper sentence.Her eyes darted around anxiously before she suddenly stopped talking altogether. Then, forcing a small smile onto her face, she shook her head quickly.“Um... it’s nothing,” she muttered awkwardly as she stepped aside from the doorway. “You can leave now.”She gestured toward the door with her hand.I threw her one last strange look, still confused by her behavior, but I didn’t bother questioning her further. Instead, I walked past her and headed straight toward my study.The moment Lucas saw me approaching, he immediately straightened his posture.A faint smile appeared on his face before he bowed respectfully alongside the other guards standing nearby. Without wasting another second, he quickly stepped forward and opened the office door for me.The atmosphere arou
AVERY WINTERS Sitting against the headboard, I kept my eyes fixed on Ben as he gently massaged my legs. His touch was careful, almost too careful, and instead of comforting me, it only made my thoughts spiral even more. Maybe I had become too used to the way things usually were between us, because this sudden kindness from him felt unfamiliar. Strange. Even suspicious.There was definitely something going on.“Bernard...?” I called softly.He didn’t stop massaging my legs. Instead, he slowly lifted his gaze to meet mine, his expression calm and unreadable.“Yes, my love?” he answered gently.I stared at him for a few seconds before finally asking, “Why did you do that earlier?”He frowned lightly, pretending not to understand. “Do what?”I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t play dumb with me, Ben. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”A quiet chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head slowly.“Don’t start overthinking things again, Avery,” he said in a reassuring tone, his han
AVERY WINTERS “What the hell is going on here?!” Bernard demanded, rushing toward us, his eyes narrowing sharply at both Hazel and I.And right on the spot, she burst into fake tears.“Bernard… it really hurts. Can you help me stand up?” she pleaded, her voice trembling as she stretched out her hand toward him, her expression pitiful.I stood there, frozen.Immediately scolding myself mentally— how could I be this stupid?I had promised myself, sworn to myself... that I would never fall into her trap again.And yet… here I was.Not only had I fallen right into it, but I had practically handed her the perfect weapon to use against me.I wasn’t even surprised anymore.This was her usual trick.She had done it countless times before.What angered me the most wasn’t her—it was me.For being careless.For not thinking ahead.For not calculating the outcome.And the worst part?The clear, unmistakable imprint of my palm was boldly marked across her cheek.There was no escaping this.Slowly
AVERY WINTERS “No, no, no…” she started, waving her index finger slowly in the air, her lips curling into a twisted smile. “That’s not how you should say it.”Her eyes gleamed with something dark and unsettling.“It should be... what have I schemed this time? Because I’m already done scheming everything… and I’m winning!” she exclaimed excitedly, a maniacal laugh escaping her lips. “I’m already one step ahead of you, Avery!”“What nonsense are you spewing this time?” I asked again, my voice laced with anger as I glared at her.“Well…” she trailed off, clasping her hands together casually. “Don’t rush it. I will definitely explain everything to you. One... after the other.”She took slow, deliberate steps toward me and began circling me like a predator sizing up its prey.Instinctively, I stepped back.In the process, we switched positions— she now stood where I had been earlier, while I unknowingly took her place, my back now facing the entrance of the room.“It all started when you
AVERY WINTERS In one swift motion, Hazel shoved Harper away from her, quickly straightening her shirt as if nothing had happened.“What are you doing?” she snapped, rolling her eyes before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.“What do you mean?” Harper shot back, her expression instantly turning pitiful. “I was trying to comfort you. You looked so sad… I just wanted to console you. Is there something wrong with that?”Her voice trembled just enough to sound believable.I, on the other hand, bit down hard on my lip.I was this close to bursting into laughter.“Enough,” Bernard's voice suddenly cut through the tension. “We’re not here for this.”Without sparing anyone another glance, he turned and strode upstairs.The atmosphere shifted immediately.Heavy.Urgent.From what we had gathered, Aaron was supposed to be rushed to the hospital, but instead, the doctor had brought the necessary equipment here and had been treating him in the house. Apparently, it had been a seizure—and th
AVERY WINTERS I can confidently say that Bernard and Ezra have not been themselves ever since we told them about the pregnancies.The overprotectiveness… the constant pampering… the way they won’t let us lift a single finger— it’s almost overwhelming.And it’s not just them anymore.Caleb and Asher now knows about my pregnancy too.Now, we’re all on our way back to the New York. Morning has already broken, though Bernard' private jet had landed late last night.Everything happened so fast.We barely had time to truly enjoy ourselves. Yes… I had fun, but not as much as I wanted to.And honestly?I’m done stressing over things I can’t control, because right now, my focus needs to be on my child.On protecting myself… for my baby… and for my husband's legacy. Am I being selfish?For not putting Bernard's first son before mine?I know I’ve always said I see Aaron as my own, and I meant it… I still do. But... Gosh!I don’t even want to think about it.The mere thought makes me feel guil
BERNARD REED As Scarlet and Ivy pulled her away, my friends turned to me, their eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What?” I asked, my expression stern. “Did you two fight before coming here again?” Asher asked, his tone firm. He’s always like this— over protective of her, and I hate the feeling.“Com
AVERY WINTERSThe moment we stepped into his car, I turned to him, my eyes glinting with hope. "Bernard, I'm sure you must’ve changed your mind by now, right?" I asked. But he ignored me, as usual. He has a driver, or can even have one of his guards drive us. But whenever we're about to go to a p
AVERY WINTERS"Good," I muttered, taking a seat opposite him. “So, the thing is.... I’m thinking of building an orphanage home. And I’ve found a perfect location for it,”“I did my inquiry about the land and found out you owned the whole area, plus the properties around there. So I was thinking…” I
AVERY WINTERSIt’s morning, and I decided to prepare breakfast for Bernard— A very nice meal that would leave him speechless. Fear was written all over Aubrey, and the other maids faces as they caught me cooking in the kitchen. No one wanted to face Bernard’s wrath. I tried to reassure them, tha







