Blake Corporation – Ayden's Office
Adrian was unusually quiet.
"Don't tell me her beauty rendered you speechless," Xander joked, chuckling as he glanced at Adrian—but Adrian didn't respond. Xander looked up and was startled by the expression on his friend's face.
"Bro, you look like you just saw a ghost."
Adrian slowly turned his laptop toward Ayden. "You need to check out the fifth file," he said, voice low.
Ayden looked at him, puzzled. He turned to his system, and pulled up the files in his email. Clicking on the fifth profile, the picture loaded—and for a moment, he just stared.
"I don't know who she is," Ayden said blankly.
"I'm still in the room, and that face creeps me out," Xander muttered.
Adrian leaned forward. "Ayden… it's her. Avery."
"Who the fuck is Avery?" Xander asked, confused.
Ayden was just as lost. "What are you talking about?"
Adrian exhaled. "Five months ago… that night."
Ayden's eyes narrowed. He zoomed in on the photo—and suddenly everything clicked. The hair. The smile. Her face.
"H-Her friend," Ayden stuttered, eyes locked on the screen.
"Yes. Ayden's one night stand friend. The one I hooked up with that night," Adrian added quietly.
"Damn. What a small world," Xander said. He and Adrian looked at each other and then fell silent.
"Adrian check out file six" Xander suggested, not minding what they had just stumbled on. "I think she's also your type."
Ayden and Adrian reopened the sixth file, clicking through the last profile.
This time, it was Adrian who froze.
"Oops. She's… pregnant," Xander commented carelessly. "Guess she's already taken."
The word pregnant echoed in Ayden's ears like a siren. He immediately scrolled through her full profile—until he reached the section that confirmed it: Pregnancy Status: Yes.
A cracking sound interrupted the room.
Xander and Adrian looked toward Ayden—his pen had snapped clean in half in his hand.
"First Adrian, now you? What did that poor pen ever do to you?" Xander grumbled.
"Files five and six—check their addresses," Ayden said, voice low and tight.
Both men opened the profiles side by side. Same apartment. Same address.
Adrian jumped to his feet. "Fuck!"
Xander looked between them. "Wait. Don't tell me she's the one?!"
No one replied.
Xander's jaw dropped. "Ayden… she's pregnant. Could it be…?"
"It can't be," Ayden said quickly, cutting him off.
"You can't be that sure," Xander challenged.
"If it was mine, she would've come looking for me," Ayden snapped.
"She didn't because she thought you paid her to get rid of the baby," Adrian said, his mother's voice suddenly echoing in his head.
Yvette's words: If someone did this to your sister, they'd be six feet under. So why do it to someone else?
"There's only one way to find out," Xander said. "We're selecting them both. I'm not letting either of you screw this up again."
He immediately called Ryan.
"Ryan, two files were just sent to your inbox. Those are the ones Ayden has selected. You know what to do," Xander said, then hung up.
Adrian ran his hands through his hair. "This is so fucked up."
Bree & Avery's Apartment – Evening
Bree and Avery had just returned from grocery shopping. After dropping the bags in the kitchen, they collapsed on the couch.
"Mr. Marcus should have just let us go to work," Bree groaned. "Sitting at home doing nothing is frustrating."
"But you get to rest though," Avery said.
"It's making me lazy."
"You're supposed to be resting, Bree. Not all women could go through what you're doing right now."
Bree sighed. "Do you think I did the right thing?"
"What are you talking about?" Avery asked, looking at her.
"Keeping the babies… not going back to find their father."
Avery leaned in. "Bree, you made the decision that was best for you and your babies. Don't punish yourself for it."
"Sometimes I feel like I did the right thing. But sometimes I wonder if I'm wrong," Bree admitted. "I keep remembering what Mum said, and I just pray I don't regret my decision."
"You done with the guilt session? I'm starving," Avery said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Jesus, Avery!" Bree laughed, throwing a pillow at her.
They both laughed and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Avery had purposely distracted her—because she couldn't stand to watch Bree spiral into self-blame again. After dinner, they headed to bed.
The Next Morning
Avery was in the kitchen making breakfast when her phone rang. She wiped her hands on a napkin and picked up the call.
"Good morning. Am I speaking with Avery Thomas?" a professional male voice asked.
"Yes, this is Avery. How may I help you?"
"I'm pleased to inform you that you've been selected as a personal nutritionist for a high-profile figure. I believe you know what this is about," the man said.
Avery's eyes lit up. "Really?! That's amazing!"
"Due to security protocol, I can't disclose the client's identity at this time," he continued. "A car will arrive to pick you up on Monday at 07:00 a.m. Will that be convenient?"
"Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much!" Avery replied excitedly.
"Have a great day, Ms. Thomas. See you Monday," he said, then ended the call.
Still beaming, Avery rushed into the bedroom.
"Bree! Guess who just called?" she exclaimed.
Bree looked up from her laptop. "Who?"
Before Avery could respond, Bree's phone rang. She answered it on speaker.
"Good morning, Miss Adams. I'm pleased to inform you that you've also been selected as a personal nutritionist for a high-profile figure," the same professional voice said—Ryan's voice.
Bree's eyes widened. Avery grinned knowingly.
"Due to protocol, I can't reveal the person's identity. A car will be sent to pick you up on Monday at 07:00 a.m.," Ryan continued.
"Okay, thank you," Bree said, still shocked.
"One more thing," Ryan added. "While reviewing your files, we noticed that you and Ms. Thomas live at the same address. Would you prefer one ride or two separate pickups?"
Bree looked at Avery, who nodded. "We can share the same ride. We're friends—more like sisters."
"Understood. Thank you. We'll see you both on Monday. Have a great day, Miss Adams."
"Wait—sorry—can I at least get your name?" Bree asked quickly.
"It's Ryan," he replied.
"Thank you so much, Ryan," Bree said warmly.
She hung up and turned to Avery, face glowing.
"Can you believe it?! We both got selected!"