Aaron woke up with his hands searching for his snuggle bug. When he didn''t find her, he sat and what caught his attention was red ink, no, it was red nail paint on the white envelope.


    ''I won''t let you win.''


    Aaron: "..."


    Why did it sound so dark and menacing? Aaron wandered. He was sure it was for the medical center, not for him.


    Just then, he heard the clicking sounds of high heels. He lifted his head towards the stairs and gaped at his wife. She was wearing a ck designer gown.. The hem of the dress was long at the back and short at the front. The uniqueness of the dress was, theyers under the skirt were designed uniquely to stand out. There was very minimal bling and more delicateness in the making of the dress. The bodice was in a snug fit, covering till her cor bones. A beige color flower pattern was popping on her shoulder. There were no sleeves or any jewelry on her wless hands.


    He felt there was a touch of royalness to the look. Was it her delicate makeup? Her hair? Or her dress? Must be her red lips.


    Despite all that, his attention went on the ck umbre in her hand. It wasn''t any normal one either. The end tip was longer and the handle was in U shape. The overall length was also long. He oddly guessed it was Jordan''s umbre.


    Her look didn''t seem like she was going out with her friends. From her smokey eye makeup to her pointed heels, everything was carefully chosen to annoy someone.


    Maisie Bute!! Aaron guessed so urately.


    "Like what you see?" Her alluring voice sounded.


    "Very much."


    Her shoulders shrugged, "Not for you, Darling." She waved her two fingers and added, "Byee!!" Her tone tempted him to pull her on the couch.


    ''Such a Drama Queen.'' He thought. She was leaving when he asked looking at her back, "I wanna join in."


    Aarvi turned around after hearing him. She nodded as she pointed to hisptop, "Complete your work. We can go on a dateter."


    Aaron nodded and saw her off. He hoped Maisie and Shane''s words wouldn''t hurt her.


    ----


    At Kelly vi,


    A ck SSC Tuatara and Bentley came to a halt. Aarvi looked at the unmaintained courtyard. The dry leaves of trees were everywhere. The grass had grown unevenly in just a week and she didn''t think her biological parents bothered to clean even an inch.


    Alex ced a set of papers inside his zer and held the umbre for her. So he had two umbres in hand. He looked up at the clear sky. It was dusk so the sky wasn''t cobalt blue and it wasn''t cloudy either. There was no scorching sun that needed an umbre. He was really clueless about what she was up to.


    What else he noticed was her expression. She wasn''t serene. She wasn''t cold. She was smiling. She was happy. The curve of her red lips were matching the curve of her eyes.


    Is she so excited to meet her parents?


    No, Aarvi was smiling recalling teen Aaron had dropped her there once. He stood right at the ce she was standing and watched her enter the vi.


    So many things changed from the day her father kicked her out, literally. Would she have achieved so much if she was dwelling in that vi? Aarvi doubted.


    Her grandfather would have pressured her to join him and her parents would have run behind her and ordered her to leave thepany. She was happy that she didn''t have to look at those faces frequently for so many years.


    "I am back." She told the vi. Even if she didn''t have a good memory there, she lived there for the maximum years of her life.


    She walked towards the main door. Her steps slowed down when her eyes fell on a man who exited the vi main door - Maisie''s brother.


    Since Maisie didn''te to see him off, Aarvi guessed he wasn''t helping her. Nheless, she still chose to warn him.


    "Ava…" His voice barely sounded.


    When she was Ava, a little girl till the age of sixteen, she always shed him a smile and showed her respect. And he always treated her like an air, an invisible person. He had ignored her sincerity for sixteen years.


    Aarvi let him taste his own actions. She passed by without batting an eyelid. She heard the man sigh deeply. And she paused, "Looks like president Bute doesn''t love his own family."


    He turned around quickly. However, her back was facing him. He immediately retorted afraid she will hurt his business, "No, I didn''t help them. I even came by taxi to tell them..."


    Aarvi corrected him, "LIE!!"


    Like a puppet being yed, he revealed the truth, "I came by taxi and lied that the Rivas family ruined me too."


    Now, she was Rivas. That meant, he didn''t reveal to his sister and brother-inw that she is Ava Kelly. He was smart to save his pants. "Be careful. Your fear mighte true." She warned him and went inside without turning back.


    She missed listen to a question, ''Couldn''t you forgive them?''


    Aarvi had expected to feel emotional and hurt by recalling the past while going inside but she was cool. Instead, she imagined her younger self walking in the vi.


    Aarvi soon furrowed her eyebrows. Forget about outside the vi, they hadn''t cleaned inside either. She couldn''t believe the couple who used to scold the maids speaking of cleanliness were living there.


    Anything that was expensive in the house was all taken away, so the vi looked a little nd. Aarvi didn''t even pity her parents. She gave them the roof when they were the ones who snatched everything from her.


    Hearing the sound of shoes and heels, Maisie ran towards the door assuming her brother came back to help them. Nheless, she froze looking at the exquisitedy. She was really beautiful and her face looked innocent. However, it was the face that irritates her the most.


    "Why are you here?" She asked, disgustingly looking at Aarvi.


    However, Aarvi ignored her. She went further inside and looked around. Nothing had changed. Maybe there was repainting. The three years changed nothing there but her.


    Shane who saw her stood up and stared at her. He watched her head to toe. She looked exactly like his daughter in richness and elegant mode. His daughter wasn''t wasting money on expensive dresses. She was a very simple girl. Thedy in front of him was a head-turner.


    However, he swallowed his spit nervously. ''What if she is Ava Kelly?'' A Part of him knew she was his daughter. Not because he felt any connection with her. It was because the Rivas family ruined them, Shawn was a best friend of Ava and thisdy belonged to the Rivas family.


    How could there be such a huge coincidence? His heart was beating so fast in the panic that he started feeling dizzy.


    Maisie hates it if anybody ignores her. Seeing thedy checking out the vi, she screamed at her, "Whoever you are, get out of my house, right now."


    Aarvi nced at her but ignored her. She wanted to rile her up more, "We should demolish this wall and make a huge yroom for my pets."


    Alex responded with a straight face, "Sure, Young Madam. I will appoint the best renovationpany."


    If Aarvi''s face disgusted her, Maisie hated to hear anybody making changes at her ce without her permission. She reached out to drag Aarvi out but Alex used the umbre and hit her hand with a full hard swing.


    "Ahhh…." Maisie cried out when her knuckles stung.


    Shane noticed it and ran towards his wife. Aarvi turned around and gasped as if she didn''t know anything.


    Her sweet mellow voice sounded, "I am sorry, mom. I hadn''t instructed him clearly." She sounded as timid as in the fast.


    Maisie: "..." She forgot the pain and stared at Aarvi.


    Aarvi turned to Alex and smirked evilly, "Alex, my mother always used her hands and legs on me. You should use the same. Got it?"


    Alex held back hisughter and apologized, "I am sorry Young Madam. I will keep that in mind." Back in his mind, he started thinking how could Maisie treat her daughter in such a way?


    Both turned to the couple who were frozen as if they saw a ghost standing in front of them.


    "Dad!!"


    Shane fainted looking at the dark smile on her face.


    Aarvi took a step towards her mother. Maisie looked at her lips painted in red that looked like blood about to roll down her lips. Her nails had the same color. If not a ghost, she looked like a night creature, a vampire to her eyes. She fell on her butt and crawled back, "Y-You a-are d-d-dead." She stammered trembling profusely. The beads of cold sweat started to appear on her face, staring at Aarvi.