CHAPTER 4: THE TWO OF THEM

Ava : POV.

I sat at the edge of the couch, staring at the seventh rejection email glowing on my laptop. Another job had turned me down. The money I had with me was running out, my stomach was beginning to show, and I still hadn't started antenatal care. I couldn't continue using the Wilson name. I needed to change my name, but I wondered how long that would last.

I opened another job application and stared at the name section. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. I couldn't keep using Wilson. If someone from Damien's world was looking for me, that name would lead them straight to me. I took a deep breath and typed the only name I could think of.

Ava Reyes.

I stared at it for a moment. It didn't feel like my name, but maybe that was the point. I needed to disappear, at least until I figured out what to do next.

I closed the application and looked at the small amount of money I had left in my wallet. It wasn't enough to last another week. I placed my hand on my stomach and took a slow breath. How was I going to take care of myself and this baby? I needed to see a doctor, but I didn't even know where to start.

I decided to go to the hospital with the little money I had. I sat alone in the waiting room, my hands resting on my stomach. Around me, pregnant women sat beside their husbands, some talking quietly and laughing while others held hands. The seat beside me was empty. I had no one sitting there. Damien wasn't coming. He didn't even know about the baby. He would never know, I told myself.

"Ava Reyes?" the nurse called.

I quickly stood up and followed her down the hallway, holding my bag tightly against my chest. My heart was beating faster with every step. I had never imagined I would be sitting in a hospital alone, about to find out what was happening inside my body. The nurse handed me a form and asked me to fill in my details. I stared at the name I had written at the top. Ava Reyes. For a second, I almost wrote Wilson, but I stopped myself. That woman belonged to the life I had left behind. I finished the form and handed it back.

"The doctor will see you shortly," the nurse said before leaving.

I sat on the examination bed, staring at the closed door and wondering what my life had become.

A few minutes later, the doctor walked in with a warm smile. She introduced herself and asked me a few questions about my pregnancy. I answered quietly. When she asked about the baby's father, I hesitated.

"He's not in the picture," I said.

She looked at me for a moment but didn't ask anything else. Instead, she told me we should do an ultrasound. I lay back on the bed, my heart beating faster as she placed the cold gel on my stomach.

"Let's see how your little one is doing," she said.

I nodded, staring at the screen as the machine came to life. The doctor moved it slowly across my stomach, her eyes fixed on the screen. I watched her face, waiting for her to say something. Then she suddenly smiled.

"Everything looks good," she said.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"Your baby has a strong heartbeat," she said.

A smile slowly formed on my lips. For the first time in weeks, I felt a little hope. Then the doctor looked at the screen again. Her smile disappeared. She moved the machine slightly and stared for a few seconds.

"That's strange," she said.

My heart started beating faster. "What is it?" I asked.

"There seems to be another heartbeat," she said.

I stared at her for a moment, thinking I had heard her wrong. "What do you mean by another heartbeat?" I asked.

She turned the screen slowly toward me. "I'm seeing two heartbeats. There are two, not one," she said.

I looked at the screen, completely lost. Two tiny shapes appeared on the monitor, with two separate, strong heartbeats. Tears filled my eyes. I couldn't believe it.

"Two babies? Not one?" I whispered.

"Congratulations, Ava. You're having twins," she said.

I left the hospital with the ultrasound picture clutched tightly in my hand. I still couldn't believe it. Two babies. I was going to have two babies. By the time I got home, I was still staring at the picture when someone knocked on the door. I opened it and froze.

"Surprise!" Maya stood there with two bags of groceries in her hands.

"Maya?" I said.

"What? You thought I was going to let you stay here all alone forever?" she said, walking past me. "I brought food because I know you probably haven't been eating properly."

I smiled for the first time that day. "You didn't tell me you were coming," I said.

"Because then it wouldn't be a surprise," she said.

She dropped the groceries on the kitchen counter and turned to look at me. "Okay, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," she said.

I looked down at the ultrasound picture in my hand. "Maya, I went to the hospital today," I said.

Her smile disappeared. "Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded, but tears suddenly filled my eyes. "I'm fine. It's just..." I handed her the picture.

She stared at it for a few seconds. "Is this the baby?" she asked.

I nodded.

Maya looked at me, then back at the picture. "Wait. Why are there two?" she asked.

"Because there are two babies," I said, laughing through my tears.

Her mouth fell open. "You're having twins?" she asked.

I nodded again.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Then Maya screamed, dropped the picture onto the couch, and pulled me into a hug.

"Oh my God, Ava! Twins!" she said.

I laughed as tears ran down my face. For the first time since Damien threw me out, I didn't feel completely alone.

Maya pulled away and placed both hands on my stomach. "Did you say two babies are growing in there?" she asked, still looking shocked.

"I didn't even know there were two until today," I said, laughing through my tears.

She looked at me for a moment, then slowly smiled. "Are you going to tell him?" she asked.

My smile disappeared. I shook my head. "Never. Not after what he did to me," I said.

Maya didn't argue. She simply looked at me, waiting.

"These babies are all I have now," I said, placing my hand over my stomach. "They'll carry the Reyes name. I won't let Damien's name become part of their lives."

"Then you won't do this alone," she said quietly. "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you and the babies."

I looked at her, and more tears filled my eyes. I had spent the last two weeks trying to convince myself that I could handle everything alone, but hearing her say that made something inside me break. I leaned into her shoulder and cried. For the first time since I left Damien, I allowed myself to believe that maybe I could build a new life. Maybe my babies and I would be okay.

Later that night, after we had eaten, Maya and I sat quietly in the living room. She looked at me for a long moment before speaking.

"Ava, are you really never going to tell Damien about the babies?" she asked.

I looked down at my stomach. For a moment, I thought about the man I had once loved, the man who had called me a thief and signed our marriage away without believing me.

"No," I said. "He made his choice, Maya. Now I'm making mine."

Maya reached for my hand and held it tightly. She didn't try to change my mind. She just stayed beside me.

"They don't need a father who thinks their mother is a criminal," I said, looking down at the ultrasound picture. "They need me, and I'll do everything I can to give them a good life."

"You will," she said quietly.

I leaned back against the couch and closed my eyes, finally feeling a little peace. I thought the worst was behind me.

I was wrong.

My phone suddenly vibrated on the table. I opened my eyes and reached for it. The number on the screen was unknown. I hesitated before answering.

"Hello?" I said.

Silence.

"Hello?" I said again.

Then a woman's shaky voice came through. "Ava?" she said.

I sat up straight. "Who is this?" I asked.

"You don't know me, but I know what happened to you," she said.

My heart started pounding. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"The eight million dollars," she said. "You didn't steal it."

My entire body froze. Maya looked at me. I held up a finger, telling her to wait.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"I've been watching what happened from the beginning," she said. "I know you were framed, Ava. I know who moved the money, and I have proof."

My breath caught. "Then tell me who did it," I said.

She was silent for a moment. "I wanted to come forward sooner, but I was scared," she said. "They warned me that if I ever told you the truth—"

A sudden noise came through the phone. The woman's breathing changed.

"Wait..." she said.

"What's happening?" I asked, my heart racing. "Who is there?"

"Ava, listen to me," she said. "The person who framed you is—"

The call went dead.

"Hello?" I said.

Nothing.

I pulled the phone from my ear and stared at the screen. I immediately called the number back.

The number you have dialed is not in service.