2.

7 years later

Avery flicked her gaze toward the playpen, where her twin boys, Neal and Noel were jumping and laughing, surrounded by colorful balls.

She smiled softly, her heart easing when she saw they were safe and happy. They’ve had a very busy and hectic week with unpacking and trying to adapt to their new environment, and it was a relief that they could have fun even if it was for just a few hours.

Turning her attention back to the phone pressed to her ear, she continued her conversation with Julian.

“That’s what I think, Julian,” she said, her tone quiet but firm. “I’m at the mall to meet the realtor, and hopefully, he’ll have a house that’s a better fit for us this time.”

“Good,” Julian replied on the other end. “You can’t stay at your grandfather’s estate forever. That place isn’t a home—not with your sisters around. They’re toxic, Avery, and you know it.”

Avery sighed, her fingers tightening around the phone. She knew Julian was right. Her grandfather had welcomed her back after seven years away, insisting that his estate was her home too, and she could stay for as long as she wanted, but Avery felt the undercurrent of hostility from her sisters. She couldn’t let her boys grow up surrounded by that bitterness.

“I know,” she admitted. “That’s why I’m trying so hard to find somewhere else. I can’t keep my boys there. They deserve better.”

Avery’s eyes drifted back to the playpen, searching for her boys. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Noel but couldn’t see Neal.

Panic surged through her until she spotted his golden hair at the corner, picking up a ball almost as big as he was. She exhaled in relief, smiling faintly at his determination.

“ Yeah, I really wished you had accepted my offer, Avery. At least, it’s ten times better than any realtor would give you…” Julian grumbled into the phone.

“ Still, I can’t wait to see the boys. I’ve missed them…” Julian gushed in an excited tone.

Avery scoffed, shaking her head. It had barely been a week since they returned, and Julian was already missing the boys. His offer had been generous—he wanted to set her up in an upscale apartment in one of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

She knew it would cost him a fortune, though money was no concern for him. Still, accepting his offer would only deepen her debt to him, tying her more firmly to his goodwill.

Julian had supported her and her boys for years, always stepping in when she needed him most. While she was deeply grateful, the weight of her gratitude felt like a burden, especially knowing how he truly felt about her. Accepting more from him didn’t feel right—not when she couldn’t give him what he wanted in return.

Just as Avery opened her mouth to reply, a voice cut through the mall’s noise, interrupting her.

“Raina?” the voice called.

She froze. The voice was both strange and achingly familiar, stopping her breath for a moment. She didn’t know why her body responded to that name, but slowly, she turned around, her breath catching as the world around her seemed to still.

Avery stared at the man stood in front of her, his golden hair catching the mall’s fluorescent light. It was the same shade as Neal’s, a striking detail she couldn’t ignore. His face, too, seemed familiar, though she couldn’t place where she had seen it before.

Her brow furrowed as she stared at him, trying to piece together a puzzle she didn’t even realize she was holding.

“Raina?” he said again, his voice wavering. “ Raina Ross?”

Her frown deepened. Ross? She shook her head slightly. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice low and cautious.

The man straightened, exuding an air of authority that made her uneasy. “I’m Asher. Asher Storm,” he said, his tone as if the name alone should explain everything. He studied her face, his sharp eyes narrowing. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me.”

She took a small step back, instinctively distancing herself. “No… I don’t. I don’t know you.” She whispered.

Asher gasped as he took a step closer, his hands almost reaching for her. “I can’t believe it’s really you. You’re alive, Raina.”

Confusion swept over her, and she took another step back. The sincerity in his voice was undeniable, but his words made no sense. “I think you’re mistaken,” she said firmly, her voice steadying as she tried to ground herself. “I’m not who you think I am. I’m Avery Wellesley, not Raina Ross. I’m sorry.”

Asher’s lips curled into a humorless smirk, and he crossed his arms. “Don’t play games with me. I know it’s you. I’ve been searching for you for seven years, and now here you are, acting like you don’t know me?”

“I’m not mistaken. I remember your face from that night. You were there, and then… you were gone.”

Her unease grew, and she instinctively turned toward the playpen where Neal and Noel were still playing, their laughter an anchor in the chaos. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t know who you are. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

She turned to leave, but Jackson’s voice stopped her cold.

“Not so fast.”

Avery froze, glancing over her shoulder as he gestured toward two men in suits standing nearby. At his signal, they moved to block her path. Her pulse quickened, and she spun around to face him.

“What is this?” she demanded, her voice rising.

Asher’s smirk widened, his confidence bordering on arrogance. “You’re not going anywhere, Raina. Not until we’ve talked.”

Her hands balled into fists. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you can’t just stop me like this!”

“Oh, but I can,” he said smoothly, stepping closer. “You’re not just anyone, Raina Ross. And I’m not letting you disappear on me again.”

She glared at him, her heart pounding as she struggled to keep her composure. “I told you, I’m Avery Wellesley. Now let me go, or I’ll call the police.”

Asher raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading into a look of cold determination. “Call them,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “But I assure you, once they arrive, they’ll find that I have every right to ask questions. Especially when it concerns you.”

Avery’s stomach twisted. There was some thing about his words, about the way he looked at her, that made her chest tighten. She wanted to pull away, to keep walking, but something in his expression—raw and pleading—kept her rooted in place.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said quietly, her voice betraying a hint of the uncertainty swirling inside her. “Please, let me go.”

Asher sighed, his hand running through his hair as his gaze searched hers. “I’m not mistaken,” he said softly, almost to himself. “I know it’s you, Raina Ross.”

Avery took a steadying breath, preparing to deal with Asher’s overbearing presence, when the sound of small, excited voices interrupted her.

“Mommy! Mommy! Is this Daddy?” Neal’s voice rang out, clear and curious.

Avery’s breath hitched, and her eyes widened. Before she could say a word, both boys dashed toward Asher, their laughter ringing through the air.

“Daddy! Daddy! We’ve been waiting for you!” Noel added, his small arms wrapping tightly around Asher’s leg.

Avery froze, completely stunned. Her boys were usually shy, hesitant around strangers. Yet here they were, embracing a man they had never met as if they’d known him forever.

Asher seemed equally startled. He looked down at Neal and Noel, then up at Avery, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. “You have kids?” he asked, his voice hardening. “Are you married?”

Avery bristled, pulling herself together. “That’s none of your business,” she snapped, stepping forward. “And no, I don’t have to be married to have children.”

Asher’s jaw tightened as he crouched to their level, studying the boys. His eyes stayed on Neal’s golden hair for more than a second. “How old are you?” he asked gently.

“We’re six!” Neal and Noel chorused proudly.

Avery’s heart thudded in her chest. She quickly moved to them, placing a protective hand on each boy’s shoulder. “Okay, that’s enough,” she said, her voice firm. “Come here, boys.”

The twins hesitated, glancing between her and Asher. “But, Mommy, isn’t he our daddy?” Neal asked, his wide eyes brimming with confusion.

“No, he’s not,” Avery said firmly, pulling the boys closer. This was the first time they had ever asked about their father, and she had dreaded this moment for so long. It wasn’t that she didn’t know who he was—it was that she had nothing meaningful to tell them about him.

Everything she knew about Henry came secondhand, pieced together from what his family and grandfather had told her after the accident. Her own memories of him were a void, wiped clean by the trauma of that day.

In his will, Henry Wellesley had made it clear: he had a wife, Avery, and if anything happened to him, his family was to find her and care for her because she was carrying his child. Thankfully, they found her just in time—right after the accident that had nearly taken her life.

Avery had spent seven months in a coma, and when she finally woke, her memories were gone. The doctors had assured her it was temporary, a result of the trauma, but seven years later, the memories of her past remained lost to her.

How could she explain something so complicated to her children when even she struggled to make sense of it?

The boys’ faces fell, and they turned back to Asher. “Are you really not our daddy?” Noel asked softly, his voice tinged with sadness.

Asher straightened, his piercing gaze shifting from the boys to Avery. “Am I?” he asked, his tone sharp, demanding answers.

Avery sighed, frustration building inside her. She should know who the father of her sons was, shouldn’t she? Henry Wellesley was their father. “No,” she said through gritted teeth, staring him down. “You’re not their father.”

His eyes lingered on the twins, his expression unreadable. Avery refused to let her discomfort show.

“I’m Avery Wellesley,” she said, her voice clipped. “Not the Raina Ross you’re looking for. So can we leave now?”

Asher didn’t respond immediately, his gaze flickering between her and the boys. After a long, tense pause, he finally nodded to his guards, who stepped aside to clear the path.

“Come on,” Avery said, taking Neal and Noel’s hands and leading them away. Her steps were quick, purposeful, but her mind was a storm of confusion and unease.

As they walked away, Noel glanced back at Asher, his small voice carrying across the distance. “Bye, Daddy.”

Avery’s chest tightened, but she didn’t stop. She needed to get away before things spiraled even further out of control.