Fate

by Tia Wylder

  “It’s been three months,” he said carefully, and Jasmine felt as if a trap door had been opened beneath her. The thread of doubt in her mind multiplied, and she struggled to keep her breathing even as the man met her gaze. “Your contract technically ends today. It’s been a wild ride, hasn’t it?” He smiled nervously. Jasmine frantically tried to think of things she may have done wrong, things that would make him want her to leave. She had been certain things were going so well, but…

  “But?” She managed, feeling a single tear make a trail down her cheek. Mark’s eyes widened, and he pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head fiercely.

  “No buts. It’s been a wild ride, the best three months I could have asked for. There were a few hiccups along the way, but I wouldn’t change what we have for the world… except,” he paused, drawing away to meet her gaze. “I’ve been working really hard to prove how much I love you. I was just curious as to if I’d had much success in that department,” he asked shyly. Jasmine wiped her eyes hurriedly, chuckling in response to the question.

  “Of course. You’ve proven yourself a thousand times over. I still… I still worry, but I couldn’t see myself anywhere but here… with you,” she murmured. He smiled broadly, seeming pleased by the answer. Taking a step back, he fumbled in his pockets for a moment. Thinking nothing of it, Jasmine returned her attention to the food she was preparing.

  “Do you think we should call Jenny for breakfast? I don’t want her food… to get… cold,” she trailed off, glancing towards Mark and feeling as if her heart would leap out of her chest. He was on the floor, poised on one knee with a ring box in front of him. He was sweating bullets but had an expression of hopefulness on his face. “Mark…?” She whispered, gasping as he popped open the top of the box. Inside sat a beautiful diamond ring with emerald accents, the exact shade of the emerald on her necklace. She reached up to touch it subconsciously, the tears beginning to spill anew.

  “I know things got off to a rocky start. But over these past few months, I’ve only fallen deeper and deeper in love with you. You’ve been a mother to my daughter when no one else would, you’ve been a friend to me, but more than anything, I’ve come to realize you’re the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I know this may seem sudden, but… Jasmine, I can’t keep it inside any longer. Will you marry me?” He implored, his voice cracking throughout the speech. Jasmine stared down at him, blinking as she heard a soft hissing noise.

  “Pssst,” someone called from the stairs. Mark looked just as confused as her, and Jasmine looked up to see Jenny watching from between the rungs of the stairs rail. “Say yes, Miss Jasmine! Say yes,” Jenny urged loudly. Mark snorted, pressing his face into his palm. “What, Daddy, I’m helping,” she called out with a pout.

  “Jenny, I told you to stay upstairs, this is a very private moment and--” Mark began.

  “Yes,” Jasmine interrupted him, grabbing him by the front of his shirt collar. He stared up at her through wide and disbelieving eyes.

  “W-what?” He stuttered out.

  “She said yes!” Jenny screamed, bolting into the kitchen with them. The young girl bounced on her heels, and Jasmine felt her heart swell with warmth at the sight. Mark’s cheeks grew flushed, and with the smile that he was giving her, she was certain her heart would beat out of her chest. He nodded his head once, slipping the ring on her finger. He rose to his feet, and a loud sniffle echoed through the room.

  “Jenny…? Are you crying?” Jasmine asked gently.

  “I’m just so happy,” Jenny giggled. “You’ll be my real mommy now! For real!” She said ecstatically. Jasmine nodded, feeling a strange stirring in her gut. Almost as if something within her were vying for attention.

  “I have a bit of news, myself,” Jasmine said carefully, and the man turned a curious gaze upon her. She hesitated for the briefest of moments before reaching out, capturing his hand in her own. In one swift motion, she pressed his palm across the expanse of her slightly pudgy stomach. He stared at her in confusion for a long moment, and both jolted away from each other to cover their ears as Jenny squealed louder than either of them had ever heard.

  “I’m gonna be a sister!” She screamed, rushing forward to rest her palm on Jasmine’s stomach. Mark raised a brow, looking at his daughter and his fiancée with a curious expression. The words struck him abruptly, and he surged towards Jasmine to gently touch her stomach as well.

  “You’re… you’re pregnant?” He asked, awe tinging his voice.

  “Yep. You’ll be a daddy again. And yes, Jenny, you’re right. You’ll be a big sister. It’s a big responsibility. Do you think you can handle it?” She said in faux serious tones.

  “Of course, I can!” Mark exclaimed, and the two females looked at him with exasperation and amusement.

  “She’s talking to me, daddy. Gosh,” Jenny huffed. Jasmine grinned but nodded her agreement with Jenny’s assertion. Mark reddened but kept his hand on Jasmine’s stomach with a look of sheer happiness. “I’ll be the best big sister in the world. And you two will be the best parents in the world…,” Jenny paused, looking at the two. “You already are,” she added with a small smile.

  The pieces having finally fallen into place, Mark scooped Jenny up in his arms and pulled Jasmine in for a warm embrace. The three, who had wanted for love in different ways, found themselves completed in the most magical way. A baby was on the way.

  Jasmine mused that it was funny how things worked out. It was a once in a lifetime experience, selling your virginity. She simply hasn’t expected it to end with her happily ever after.

  However, it did just that.

  Beautiful Revenge

  PROLOGUE

  A heart monitor beeped mournfully across from me as I watched, helpless, while my sister’s life slipped away. Nurses had come and gone, and a doctor had given me the, “it’s out of our hands now” speech hours before. So, the only thing left to do was sit quietly, holding Josie’s hand, and wonder where the hell everything had gone so wrong.

  I had been sitting in my studio apartment, studying for a Criminal Law exam, when my cell phone rang, startling me. It was two in the morning, and no one ever called me this late. I was in my second year of law school, and everyone who knew me knew better than to bother me while I was studying. But I didn’t recognize the number, so I answered, half-asleep and immersed in a world of sentencing hearings and mens rea.

  “Is this Ava Webber?” a gruff voice croaked out on the other end of the line.

  “It is.”

  “Miss Webber, this is Sergeant Johnson of the LAPD. I’m sorry about the late hour, but I’m afraid I need you to come to the hospital at once.”

  I didn’t process anything he was saying. I was too tired, and somehow, I wasn’t convinced the conversation we were having was real. “What? Why would I come to the hospital? Who is this again?”

  “Sergeant Al Johnson of Los Angeles Police Department. Miss Webber, your sister Josie has been in a terrible accident, and you are listed as her emergency contact. It is imperative that you come to the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai immediately. I will be waiting for you to discuss things further when you arrive.”

  And with that, he hung up, and I sat in my desk chair, not processing what I had just been told. My sister Josie was my only family; our parents had died when I was just a teenager, and Josie had taken care of me until I turned eighteen. Since I left for college, and then law school, we hadn’t seen each other as much as I would have liked, but she would always call me when something was wrong. The idea that she was hurt… and scared… alone in the hospital?

  I left my books and any thought of my test the next day and sped over to the hospital in my run-down old hatchback. As soon as I got to the hospital, an older, distinguished man in a gray suit walked up to me when he heard my name.

  “Miss Webber?”

  I nodded, a sick feeling building in my stomach.

  “I’m Sergeant Johnson. Miss Webber, about four
hours ago, your sister Josie was spotted driving erratically in the Hollywood Hills. A witness reported seeing her take one of the curves at around 70 mph, and her car flipped off the side of the road and into the canyon. Her car was wedged between a pair of trees and some rocks, and it took the rescue team considerable time to extract her. You will have to get an update on her condition from her doctor, but it doesn’t look good. I’m sorry, Ava.”

  The world started to spin around me, and the Sergeant caught me before I could hit the floor. It took another hour before they would let me see Josie, and when they did, I thought I might pass out for real. She was barely breathing, her chest only rising and falling intermittently. Her face looked like she’d gone ten rounds with a prize fighter, and her arms were both secured in traction because it appeared they’d decided to cast her in her current state was premature. The only reason I didn’t burst into tears right away was that I was afraid Josie might hear me.

  Hours passed until I could see the sun coming up through a tiny window in the back of Josie’s room. I felt my starting to doze off when a groan brought me back to consciousness. One of Josie’s eyes was open, looking around the room in a panic. When it rested on me, she seemed to calm for a second. I jumped up from my seat.

  “Jo? Honey? Can you hear me? You were in an accident. Can you speak? Can you tell me what happened?”

  She groaned again but took a deep breath. “Ava… He cheated on me. I loved him, and he…”

  I got closer to her and tried to make sense of what she said. “Who cheated on you, honey? What are you talking about?”

  “My boyfriend,” she whispered. “Zachary Graham. He cheated on me. He broke… my heart.”

  Her eye closed again, and she let out a long sigh. Suddenly, the heart monitor stopped beeping and switched to a high-pitched squeal, which brought nurses and doctors running from all directions. A nurse shoved me out of the room and slammed a door in my face. All I could do was watching, powerlessly, as my sister’s heart stopped beating for good.

  At that moment, I had no idea who Zachary Graham was, but one thing was for sure…

  He was going to pay for what he did to my sister.

  Chapter One

  Six Months Later

  A meticulously-dressed receptionist watches me suspiciously as I re-organize my application packet for the thousandth time. I am sitting in the lobby of Harper, Graham, and Graham, the premiere entertainment law firm in Los Angeles. Thanks to my straight A’s and two years’ worth of pro-bono work, I had easily gotten to the final stage of summer intern interviews. What no one at the law firm knew was that I wasn’t really here for the experience of working for an entertainment lawyer. My plan was to get out of school and go to work for a non-profit, make a difference in the world. No; I am here because this is the law firm where Zachary Graham is a partner, and I am planning to get revenge for what he did to Josie.

  My plan isn’t terribly sophisticated, or brilliant even. I am just going to do to him what he has done to my sister: lure him in, then break his heart. I am lost in thought, thinking about how I am ever going to pull this off when the receptionist clears her throat haughtily.

  “Miss Webber, Mister Graham will see you now.”

  She scowls at me again, and I force myself to suppress an eye roll. The receptionist follows me to the giant mahogany door and opens it as if I’m not intelligent enough to figure out a door for myself. I give her my biggest, sunniest smile.

  “Thank you so much for all of your polite and generous help. I’m not sure I could have managed these last ten minutes without you.”

  I shut the door behind me with a thud and thoroughly enjoy the annoyed look on the receptionist’s face. Then, I take a minute to revel in my victory and only turn around when a snicker draws my attention. And when I see the source of the snicker, I think my heart stops dead.

  A man is sitting behind a giant glass desk, a gorgeous man. He is wearing a perfectly-tailored gray Armani suit that fits him like a glove, and the light color sets off his beautifully tan skin. His hair and his eyes are dark, and he has a smattering of five o’clock shadow that defines his granite jaw. His arms are crossed over his chest, which gives me a very clear view of his full biceps and the strength of his broad shoulders. The fact that he is laughing at me shows off just the slightest crinkles at the corners of his eyes, sparkling hazel eyes that are twinkling with an air of mischief.

  I know I am just standing there staring, but I am not quite sure what I am supposed to say. Luckily, he fills the silence.

  “I’m sorry about her. My regular assistant is out sick, and I had to borrow my brother’s. He’s far less particular about politeness.” His voice is smooth and warm like honey, deep like the thunder rolling away after a storm.

  I continue to stand there, a little more confused than is probably warranted. Finally, he laughs at me again and points to the plush leather chair in front of his desk. “Please, sit. You must be Ava Webber?”

  I nod, knowing I am making a fool of myself by not speaking. But there is something about his eyes… they are making me stupid. He leans forward, with a curious eyebrow raised.

  “I have to ask. Are you here for the intern position or is the building hiring a mime for the lobby?”

  That snaps me back to reality. Right. Don’t screw this up. You have something to accomplish other than just getting a job.

  “I’m sorry, I was just already running over answers for potential interviews questions, and I got ahead of myself. I tend to always be thinking one step ahead, formulating plans. It’s a blessing and a curse.” Great interview answer. Keep it up, girl. Zachary Graham just continues to smile at me.

  “Well, I’ll be honest with you, Miss Webber…”

  I hold up a hand, and try to subtly bat my eyelashes. I want to make it clear I am an attractive woman who is interested in him but avoid coming on too strong. “Please, call me Ava.”

  “Ava,” he says as if he is relishing the taste of my name on his tongue. “While we have had a handful of qualified applicants, there hasn’t been a single person who has come in here with your unique brand of skills. Between your grades, your charity work, that application essay… You’re not just the one to beat. As far as I’m concerned, you’re hired.”

  My jaw drops. I did not expect it to be this easy. “I hate to negotiate against myself here, but are you sure? I honestly expected there to be a few interviews, or that you’d want me to meet the other partners. I suppose I just didn’t expect it to be this… easy?”

  Zachary winks. “Oh, nothing about this will be easy, Ava. You’re in for a challenging summer full of complicated real-world work, and long, late nights. But when I know someone is a right fit, I know. And you, Ava Webber, are a right fit.”

  There is something deeply sensuous about his choice of words, and I feel a tingle travel up my thighs and to my core. What the hell are you doing? Focus! Remember why you’re here!

  Zachary stands up from his desk and walks over to me, extends his hand, and I nervously accept. My hand disappears inside of his; it is huge and strong, and his long, tan fingers envelop my own. That same tingle I felt a second ago sparks when our skin touches, and I can tell he feels it too because the glimmer in his eyes increases ten-fold. I pull my hand away and tuck it under my leg, not wanting to give away that I am remotely attracted to him. Not yet, anyway. Not until I can use it to my advantage.

  He sits on the edge of his desk and crosses his legs at the ankles as he studies me. His legs look long and powerful, and I must force myself not to follow their lines up to his…

  “So, Ava. You know what we do here?”

  I clear my throat and try to regain control of my senses. “Yes, of course. Entertainment law, focusing on burgeoning musical careers. Several of the current highest charting pop and hip-hop musicians are your clients.”

  “All accurate, but we’re so much more than that,” Zachary says with a sly smile. “We’re a full-service agency, and we also help with PR
, management, and finding our clients the absolute best producers and studios to work with our clients. It’s not just about the law here. It’s about people. Is that something you’re interested in?”

  No. Not remotely. I want to protect the rights of foster children or stop the slaughter of dolphins in Japan.

  “Oh, of course! This is my dream job. I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be.”

  I hate lying.

  Zachary jumps off the desk and walks over to the door, his thousand-dollar shoes clicking across the hardwood floor. He opens it and shouts outside, “Marlena! Can you get the intake paperwork for Ava here? I want her to start as soon as possible. Tomorrow if we can get all her background checks done today. Is that possible?”

  I hear a long, bored sigh come from the waiting room. “Yeah, okay. I guess. But I’ll have to put those cease and desist letters on hold until the morning.”