Ava couldn't sleep properly for two weeks straight. She was drained and cried every night. She even missed the date for submitting her university application.
She kept thinking about how they would've killed her father. How much they had tortured him.
Her life was not on the right track and she was afraid to share the loss of her father with Annie. She couldn't even imagine how Annie would react. She'll be so heartbroken. Annie never got to meet their mother because her mother died while birthing Annie and now she lost her father as well.
They were orphans. Ava was in depression and staying at home all the time wasn't helping her. She wasn't even eating properly.
Sitting on the couch in the lounge, she was silently weeping again. She cried for a while before she wiped her tears and pulled to her feet. She had to compose herself.
Ava made up her mind to look for a job. Her father wasn't there to help her with the finances anymore and the amount he left will be used for Annie's education in the future.
She planned to look for a job. This would help to divert her mind. She'll work for at least six months and will try to overcome the grief. After that, she'll join the university and try to score a scholarship. While studying she'll join a part-time job and keep things going.
She can do it.
With new determination, she showered and changed into new sets of clothes. After getting ready she stepped out of her apartment.
Ava knew she couldn't get a high-wage job because she had no proper degree yet. So she walked down the street and hoped to be appointed as a waitress or cashier at any cafe.
She saw a notice on one of the bakeries and they needed a helping hand. The timing was 9-8, a bit too much but the pay was good.
Luckily they hired her and asked her to begin at the spot. She was a bit nervous but the owner was kind. She gave her her uniform which was extra large on her. "I'll get a new one of your size tomorrow," Mrs. William said and Ava thanked her politely.
Mrs. William guided her and within a few hours, Ava greeted the customers with a sweet smile and took their orders.
There was another girl with her. Her name was Vanessa and she was friendly. She even guided Ava a little bit.
Once done with her shift she was happy. Mrs. Williams gave her a small cake as a token of happiness for her securing the job. Ava was thankful.
She clocked off and went straight home. She made some pasta for herself and had dinner in silence and had some cake.
Grabbing one of the books from her TBR list. She sat on the bed and placed a scented candle on the bedside table, she drowned in the fantasy world of the novel at hand.
*
A knock was heard and the person stepped into the dark room.
The thick scent of cigars was potent in the air. "Boss, we got something on that girl," The guy said and Aiden closed his eyes exhaling the puff of smoke.
"What is it?" He asked calmly. Thick voice invading the emptiness of the room.
"We found the record of her air ticket. Her name, her exact time of arrival, her city-"
"Name?" His deep voice sliced through the air.
The man holding the file gulped.
"Ava, Ava Carlton," The man responded.
Aiden tossed his head back on the chair. "Ava," He rasped. Her name sounded like a death sentence in his dark voice.
"File," The man placed the file in his extended hand before leaving quietly.
Aiden opened the file. His eyes skimmed over the picture of a beautiful girl at the front. She looked young and had this innocent charisma. Her skin was snow white and she had silky honey locks, big hazel eyes, and plump red lips.
Now as he looked at the picture properly, he could see the similarities she has with Jacob.
His eyes skidded over her name followed by her age. Eighteen, she was too young. Completed her high school studies and lives alone in an apartment in Greenwich Village, New York. It was also written that she took the flight from San Antonio last week at early dawn. Lilith must've figured out that Aiden's men would be keeping an eye on all the transport places in Saltillo which was why they escorted her to the USA.
This girl must be very important to them because no way they would go to such lengths to send her back to New York safely.
He smirked, staring at her picture. Little thing was in for a ride. She won't even know what struck her peaceful life. If by any chance she was related to Jacob. Aiden would make sure to use her for his motives.
"Enzo!" He roared and Enzo barged into the room.
"Get the arrangements. I'm leaving for New York first thing in the morning," He said.
He mind-linked Cole. 'Her name is Ava. She's 18 and lives in Greenwich Village. I want you to get her blood sample and find out if she's related to Jacob by tomorrow night.'
'On it,' Cole gave a short reply before they ended the mind-link.
He leaned back in his seat and stared at her picture. Those hazel eyes were twinkling and her smile was beautiful. The small dimples on her cheeks make her look cute.
She has nice hair, wavy and long. He likes her hair. But unfortunately, she was a human and he hates them.
He wondered about all the things he could do if she turned out to be Jacob's weakness. It'll be so much fun but if she wasn't related to Jacob then that would be boring as f*ck.
But she was human and she witnessed him abducting Jacob. Even if she wasn't related to Jacob. Aiden would still mess with her because she had gotten his rare attention, so she must pay the price.
Aiden stepped down from his private jet, buckled the button of his suit, and made his way to the car waiting for him. His men were right behind him as they got into the two black cars.
He was going through his emails when Cole's mail popped on the screen. He went through it and it was a blood report. A wide sinister grin teased his lips when he read the content.
Ava was Jacob's daughter.
He couldn't control his demon anymore as he let out a dark chortle. F*ck, he was excited.
Ava was walking down the street. She woke up early, had a shower, got ready, and quickly had a sandwich and coffee before stepping out. She checked the time and there were still twenty minutes left before the bakery opened. She was going through her phone when she heard a yelp. Her eyes snapped up and she noticed a cyclist bumping against something he lost balance and the next thing he crashed into her as they tumbled down. She winced in pain feeling weight on top of her. "Oh, I'm sorry," The person quickly moved back and she tried to sit up but a whimper left her lips feeling pain in her arm. She looked down to find blood. She got her arm scratched through something from the cycle. "I'm so sorry, are you alright?" The guy asked, panicking as he saw the blood. Grabbing his handkerchief he wiped the blood. More people approached as a lady helped her to the street cafe and helped her sit on the chair. The guy wiped her blood. It was a small cut. After a couple of minutes, it stoppe
"How are you, potato?" Ava asked her sister while keeping her eyes on the door. There were no customers at the moment. "Stop calling me that! I'm good. How are you? I miss you so much, Ava. Claire and I baked lava cake last night in our dorm. It tasted awesome. I'll make it for you next time only if you'll be nice to me and ask nicely," Annie said like the little cute brat she was. Ava's heart twisted up in knots. She had to tell Annie about their father soon. "I'd love to taste it but you'll make it anyway for me so I ain't asking nicely, potato. When are your finals?" She asked. "You're aka bully. The finals are probably at the end of next week. The date is not confirmed yet. I can't wait to meet you after that." Annie's cheerful voice was heard. "Me too, I love you, potato" Ava said. "I love you too, bully" Annie responded as they said their goodbyes. Her phone vibrated with a message and she smiled at her screen. It was Annie's picture with the lava cake as she grinned at th
Ava stepped out of the bathroom freshly showered and donning her night shorts. Drying her hair with her towel, Ava plopped on the sofa and took a bite of her sandwich. The doorbell rang and her brows creased for a fleeting second before it was gone. It must be Mrs. Smith, her neighbor. She was a very kind woman. Always brought her souvenirs and food. Sinking her feet into fluffy flats, Ava checked the door. The girl paused as the small towel dropped from her hand. Her eyes widened in shock as she blinked once and then twice. A Greek God was standing at the door. It was no one other than Mr. Whitlock. He was freaking shirtless. Holy moly! The man was built through and through like the perfect sculpture. As if God created him with divine attention. Those massive shoulders, sturdy chest, chiseled abs, the contours of every muscle. Her eyes glided over the number of scars that littered his body. Was he in a war or something?She wasn't breathing. Her sole focus was on the art crafted
"This is your first time?" Vanessa was a bit stunned by Ava's confession. They were at the club and it was her first time there. Though she wasn't wearing anything fancy. Ava was in waist-length jeans and a crop top. Her wavy long hair was up in a ponytail. They got off work and Vanessa dragged her to the club. When Vanessa found out Ava had no friends, she made up her mission to introduce her to her friend circle and help her get a life."Yeah, you see, going to such places requires friends or a partner but I'm single and lack friends. I wasn't the adventurous type but I do like having fun occasionally," Ava said, staring down at her juice. "You're boring as f*ck. Let me guess, the adventure in your nerdy dictionary is reading your favorite book at home or going out on a walk at night to get fresh air and feel as if you've achieved something incredible because you make it back home alive.""How did you know?" Ava asked, a bit stunned. Vanessa's eyes flew wide. "You f*cking kiddin
"The f*ck!" Vanessa was dumbfounded. "Quiet down," Ava tried to hush her. "What the actual f*ck! So you're telling me, that handsome hunk you were drooling over is your neighbor. You found it out five days ago and thought of informing me now! And to top the charts, he showed up wounded at your door and you tended to his wound last night." "Pretty much sums up." "You f*cking kidding me?" "Do I look like I'm kidding?" "What is this? A romantic series of hot neighbors?" "I thought that too. No wonder we bond too well, Van." The bell dinged and customers stepped in. "You better tell me all the deets once our shift ends," Vanessa said before hurrying to the kitchen as Ava greeted the customers and took their orders. Retrieving her phone she texted Annie. Ava: How was your exam? Tucking it in her pocket she looked up only to gasp. This was the second time he had walked in without any sound. Ava glared at the bell and wondered why the hell it wouldn't jiggle when he stepped in.
"What are you staring at?" Alice bumped Ava's shoulder. "Nothing," She muttered going through the text that popped on her screen. Khoroshaya Devochka. She was looking for the meaning of it. It took her some time to properly spell it and when she found the meaning she couldn't help the blush that crept on her cheeks. Good girl. He called her a good girl. God! Why did her face feel so hot? "Are you learning Russian?" Alice probed as Ava slid her phone into her pants and focused on her friends. They were currently at Audrey's place who invited them all for drinks. Ava didn't drink but she still joined them for the fun of it. "Nah.""Let's play, never have I ever." Vanessa mused. "I'll start, never have I ever seen a ghost." Alice mused as they all formed a circle holding shots in their hands. Daniel gulped down his shot and everyone gaped at him wide-eyed. "You've seen a ghost?" Audrey asked in a spooky tone. "Yeah, she's sitting in front of me," Daniel said with a poker face. A
Ava didn't move, heck, she didn't even realize what was happening. It took a couple of seconds for her mind to register what was happening. His cold and rough lips were meshed against hers. A visible shudder zapped through her spine when his tongue darted out and he licked her lips. Grabbing her hand that was on his thigh he tugged her closer. Her eyes were wide in alert and the shock that flared through her cells. She tried to pull back but he only held her in place. Tilting her head, he deepened the kiss. He was eating her lips like a hungry beast. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Wild series of loud ba-thump. Ava was so distorted that she didn't even know how to tackle this situation. The speed at which heat was rising on her flesh sank deep into her skin, claiming more of the zone as it finally rose to her face. Her cheeks were flamed. His fingers dug into her scalp rather roughly and her lips parted in a whimper. With a low guttural moan, Aiden slid his tongue int
In the silence of the dark inky night, her main door opened and a shadow slipped in. The apartment was doused in darkness as the man moved with ease. Closing the door behind he strolled further inside. The place smelled like her. Floral and fresh. His eyes flitted across the lounge. He came to a pause at the half-opened door. The first thing he noticed was the small frame of the girl on the bed cuddled in her sheets. Her long hair was sprawled on the pillow around her in elegant waves. Upon approaching her he paused at her side. Ava was snuggled in the blanket like a small kitten. Her brows and eyes were visible while the rest of her face was huddled in the blanket. Crouching beside her he peered at her with a blank gaze. His index finger tipped the blanket down enough to reveal her pouty lower lip that was jutted out. Her lips were parted as she swallowed in small breaths. She had thick long lashes that kissed her cheeks. There was a gentle glow of pink on her chubby chee