CHAPTER SIX

Winter's POV

"What are you doing here?" Winter asked, spite evident in her voice as she looked at the uninvited guest.

"What do you mean?" Nolan replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

Gavril casually walked into the living room, eyes widening as he saw his son and another unfamiliar face.

His gaze shot to me, who stood confused, still standing by the door.

He raised his eyes to look at me, and I shook my head.

"Nolan," Gavril called out, a smile plastered on his lips.

"What are you doing here?" He asked further

"I should be asking you that," Nolan replied nonchalantly, plopping down on the couch.

"Hi, Mr Hawthorne, Nice to meet you," Layla stretched out her hand, and Gavril took it.

"My name is Layla. Winter's elder sister," Layla said, looking up at me, but I just gave her a blank stare.

I moved away from the door, walking in the direction of my room to think about the next course of action.

I can't believe the cheating duo had the right to come here.

I need to leave," I thought to myself. "There is no way I am staying here with Layla and Nolan."

"Hmm...Winter, this shirt on you seems new," Layla interrupted my thought.

"What? You said it like you recognise every single one of my clothes," I retorted at her. My hand fidgeting with the hem of the shirt.

One thing about Layla is how observant she can be. And I can't risk her knowing something went down between Gavril and me.

"It looks expensive. I know that brand, and I don't think you can afford to buy it with your paycheque," she replied.

A hurtful tinge surged through my body.

Even though she had hurt me. Here she was being the typical Layla, trolling me like she always does.

I opened my mouth to talk when Gavril beat me to it.

"How did you guys get here in this weather?" He asked, walking back to the kitchen.

"We have been around before the snowstorm," Layla replied, batting her eyelashes.

I scoffed at the sight.

"How bold of you to have the nerve to come here," I said, staring at Nolan, who was looking at me.

"When I heard you still came for the vacation. We decided to come and join you," Nolan responded.

"How brazen," I replied.

"Come on, Winter, families fight and argue," Layla said, in her fake soft voice.

I shook my head at their absurd statement and turned to walk in the direction of my room when Gavril called out to me.

"Winter, come help me with this dish so we all can eat," he said.

Layla let out a sigh, "Oh, I am very famished."

I walked to join Gavril in the kitchen when he whispered to me. "So, what do you do now?

"I can't stay here with them. I can't believe they had the nerve to come."

"You can't leave."

"Why can't I? I looked up at him.

"You shouldn't let them dictate how you run your life," he said to me.

I paused for a few seconds.

"You see how they are acting like they did nothing wrong," I said.

"And you should use that to your own advantage. Don't let them see how hurt you are by them."

"This food smells delicious," Layla interrupted.

striding into the kitchen.

Gavril had switched off the gas cooker and placed the pot of pasta down.

"I didn't know you were such a good cook, Mr Hawthorne."

"You can just call me Gavril," Gavril said as he dished the food into plates.

"I was so surprised when Nolan showed me your picture and said you were his dad," Layla started as we all sat down to eat.

I didn't even know about his dad while we were dating, but he showed Layla his picture.

"You look so young," she continued.

"He had me when he was a teen and left my mom after," Nolan replied, his mouth filled with pasta.

I looked up at Gavril to see an uneasy expression on his face as he looked up. "It was a mutual agreement between your mom and me," he replied calmly.

Layla reached for her glass of wine that Gavril had poured us after setting the breakfast table.

She swirled the wine in her glass as her gaze kept dashing from Gavril to Nolan. "So, Nolan looked like his mom? You too don't look like each other."

"Well, his mom is beautiful. He took her beauty," Gavril responded.

Layla let out a curt laugh. "Oh, please. You are devilishly handsome yourself."

I watched as a small smile escaped from Gavril's lips.

My gaze returned to Layla's, and I could tell what she was doing.

She sweeps people off their feet with compliments to bring them to her side. A mastermind manipulator.

My gaze met that of Gavril, and he looked away before clearing his throat. "So, umm, you are my son's girlfriend?"

Layla let out a laugh and said, "Oh, no, Layla is his girlfriend."

"No, I am not." I immediately replied.

"Winter," Nolan called my name, and I drew my chair backwards while I stood up. "I am full."

I walked away from the food and went straight into my room. I slipped off the T-shirt and got into the shower where my tears mixed with the running water.

Coming out, I grabbed my phone to call Sicily to explain the turn of events to her when my phone rang to reveal my chief editor.

I picked it up and pressed the phone to my ear. "Have you spotted him?"

I knew she was talking about Gavril Hawthorne. I didn't even have the time to ask him for an interview.

"I am on it," I replied to her.

"Well, I have another task for you."

I let out a sigh, and she apologised profusely. "Actor Tristan was spotted in Bali. I need you to get a scoop on him."

"You want me to do celebrity gossip?"

"You are the only one I can ask," she replied.

I paused for a minute and decided to take the offer. If that would at least keep me away from the house.

"I will do it," I replied before disconnecting the call.

I walked out of the room looking well-dressed when suddenly a loud scream is heard.