Chapter Two

Ayva stormed out of the room without saying a word. Almost immediately, Zion pushed Amanda off him roughly, and she almost hit her head on the bed frame. "You stupid bitch! You called her here, didn't you?"

The satisfied smirk on her lips was more than enough of an answer to his question. He tried to lunge at her, but she swiftly moved out of his grasp.

"I swear I'm going to get you!" He glowered, hurriedly trying to get off the bed, but his legs tangled in the sheet, and then he stumbled roughly on the floor with a thud, making him yell out profanities.

His eyes scurried around the ground for his clothes as he panicked. His stomach twisted into a knot as he frantically searched for his clothes.

"Where the fuck did you hide my clothes?" He barked.

His wife had just caught him in bed with her best friend. They might as well be sisters, seeing as Amanda’s parents had adopted Ayva since she lost her parents at twelve.

The only woman he'd ever fallen in love with had caught him cheating in the worst way possible. What would he say? What thoughts were going through her mind? He didn't see her face when she came in, but the fact that she left without saying anything made him feel incredibly uneasy.

"Your clothes are in the living room," Amanda muttered as she watched him crazily searching for his clothes. He stopped and pulled his head from under the bed and then ran over to the door.

Just as he was about to pull the doorknob to open the door, Amanda said, "Don't tell me you plan on going out there like that? Naked? Is that supposed to appease her or drive her mad—" her words were abruptly cut off when he crossed the distance between them and violently slammed her against the wall, his fingers digging into her shoulder in a way that was almost too painful for her to bear.

"Don't you dare talk to me," he growled in a dangerously low voice, his rage seething and fuming within him. "Or I swear I'm gonna kill you." His body trembled with deep-rooted anger.

Amanda swallowed fearfully. Unlike earlier, the look in his eyes was different. She knew he wasn't just threatening her; he would follow through on it. He was willing to sacrifice his freedom for Ayva.

As she gazed into his eyes, filled with blinded rage, she came to a realization. Her deepest fear had now become a reality. Zion was in love with Ayva. Zion, whom she had accepted and loved despite knowing he could never return her feelings because he was incapable of love, had now fallen for the one person she despised the most in the world.

"I'll go get your clothes," she said, her breath shaky. Her words made him release his grip on her shoulders, which were now bruised from his aggression.

"Fuck!" he cursed, running his fingers through his hair as a flood of emotions overwhelmed him. He feared what Ayva's discovery would mean for their marriage. He feared it was the end and that she would never let him come close to her again. He feared he had lost her forever because of Amanda's childish game.

Dressed in a bathroom robe, Amanda stepped out of the room and headed to the living room to retrieve Zion's clothes. However, as she arrived, she saw Ayva standing in a corner, holding a glass of water.

Her brows furrowed in confusion, as she hadn't expected Ayva to still be there. She thought Ayva would have left the moment she discovered their betrayal.

Ayva, noticing Amanda's presence, turned around and scowled at her best friend.

"What was that, Am?"

"Um, I don't know, what do you think that was?" Amanda cautiously asked. Ayva's reaction was not what she had expected. She wasn't crying or devastated like Amanda had hoped. It seemed as though Ayva didn't care about catching her husband with Amanda.

"Why did you invite me to your room if you had someone there?" Ayva frowned. "Did you want me to watch you have sex with your new fling?"

"He's not just a fling," Amanda snapped before she could stop herself. "Wait, you mean you don't know him?" She scrutinized Ayva's face with skepticism.

"How am I supposed to know him if you never introduced us? I didn't even see his face."

Amanda realized then why Ayva seemed so calm, why she wasn't screaming and crying like she had hoped.

"What did you want to talk about? You said it was important," Ayva asked.

Amanda's eyes fixated on Ayva's growing belly, her mind filled with thoughts of snatching the unborn child and putting it in her own womb. She fought the urge to grab Ayva by the neck for daring to steal her man.

"Am," Ayva called, snapping her fingers in front of Amanda's face, bringing her back to reality.

"Are you okay?" Ayva asked, concerned, reaching out to touch her, but Amanda quickly moved away.

"I-I'm alright. I, uh, just really miss my bestie," Amanda managed a forced smile, which quickly faded as Ayva embraced her. "You were away on vacation for three months, and I had nobody to talk to." She moved closer, gently placing a hand on Ayva's growing belly.

"She’s growing so fast," she thought to herself, a pang of jealousy hidden beneath her fake smile. Ayva smiled back, completely unaware of Amanda's dark thoughts.

"I got you a little something, but Zion and I haven't unpacked our stuff yet. When I saw your text, I got worried that something bad had happened. Thank goodness you're okay." She gave a small smile, though Amanda's smile remained insincere.

Amanda bent down to pick up the scattered clothes belonging to her and Zion. "Just give me a sec," she said, turning to head back to her room.

"Wait!" Ayva suddenly exclaimed, taking slow steps towards Amanda. She recognized the shirt in her hands, and they looked familiar, as she had bought that exact shirt for Zion. "Why do these look like the clothes Zion was wearing earlier?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her voice.

"Oh, come on, these are just common clothes that many guys wear nowadays," Amanda tried to brush it off, attempting to convince Ayva. But deep down, Ayva couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

______________________________

Many weeks later...

Ayva’s eyes snapped open around 3 am, her body drenched in cold sweat. Her trembling hands instinctively reached for her neck, as a violent cough erupted from her throat. It was the same nightmare that had plagued her for years–the masked man, relentless in his pursuit, finally closing in on her.

"Zion?" Her hand reached out, seeking the comfort of her husband's presence, but all she found was a space beside her. Flicking on the bedside lamp, she was greeted by the cold reality that she was alone in their room.

As she stepped outside the house, Ayva's voice rang out, "Were you talking to someone?" She had overheard Zion's hushed whispers during a late-night phone call, and now she sought answers.

Startled by Ayva's sudden appearance, Zion flinched, his eyes widening in surprise. He attempted to divert her attention by pulling her into an embrace. "W-what are you doing out here, honey?"

But Ayva refused to be swayed. She hadn't received a satisfactory response yet, and she couldn't ignore the whispers and the midnight call. With a stern gaze, she locked eyes with him.

"Oh, what's that?" he scratched his ear nervously, avoiding eye contact.

"Why are you out here? Why did you leave the house?" Her stare bore into him, her disappointment and suspicion evident. She knew he was hiding something.

"I couldn't sleep because I... heard a cat crying," he quickly came up with a feeble excuse. "I just came out to check where it was coming from. But it seemed like it had already left. Let's go back inside, we can't have you missing out on your beauty sleep," he kissed her nose, trying to deflect again.

She was let down once again. He had lied to her, just like he did the day before. Ever since they got back from their three-month vacation three weeks ago, she noticed a change in him. She could sense that he was hiding something from her.

But she wasn't going to let it slide. With a forced smile on her face, she played along and followed him back inside.

*******

"Hello?" Ayva answered as she stepped out of the house, dressed for work after missing three days due to a hospital appointment.

On the other end of the line was Justin, Ayva's closest friend and the only person she truly trusted after years of working together.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Justin exclaimed with a sigh of relief. "Please tell me you'll be coming in today. I swear, if I had to make any more corporate decisions or manage any other operations, I would lose my mind."

Ayva chuckled at his statement. "Now you're just exaggerating."

"I'm not," Justin insisted. "Who knew being a CEO involved more than just looking cool in a fancy office?"

"I bet you enjoyed having my seat all to yourself," Ayva teased, starting the car engine.

"Only for the first two days, I promise," Justin admitted. "I'd much rather receive orders than be the one making decisions." He clicked his tongue. "So, about the presentation of the new design at 10 am, I'm putting your name down as the presenter."

"Are you trying to make me do your job now? Is this you slacking off?" Ayva playfully responded.

"Oh no, this is your job," Justin replied. "I'd rather chew on blades than work as the acting CEO for another second. You're back, so you should assume your responsibilities."

With a light chortle, she ended the call and drove herself to work.

"Good morning, ma'am," greeted her secretary as Ayva made her way towards her office.

As she pushed open the door to her office, a sudden presence sent a shiver down Ayva's spine. Her heart plummeted in her chest, rendering her motionless and breathless. There, standing behind her, was the masked man who had haunted her nightmares and tormented her for the past four years. The same man who had tried to drown her three years ago. She recognized him instantly, his cologne triggering a flood of memories.

A chilling realization washed over her—this man worked in her own company. She had unknowingly hired her worst nightmare. As he placed his hand on her shoulder, she was paralyzed with fear.

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through Ayva's mind. What did he want? Would he harm her? Threaten her? Panic consumed her, but she found solace in the presence of people around her and the watchful eyes of CCTV cameras in every corner.

Her breathing grew labored, and she clung to the doorframe for support, desperately trying to steady herself and prevent her knees from buckling beneath her.

Then, amidst the chaos, a voice broke through the silence, instantly shattering Ayva's grip on the door. It was a voice she never expected to hear, the last person she could have imagined. Slowly, she turned around to face him, to face Justin, whose cologne overwhelmed her senses.