Book Two: Chapter Twenty-Eight


    Marilynn sighed as she grabbed another ss of champagne. Her thick mane of brown hair had been


    straightened and highlighted to give her a lighter, trendier hairstyle. She wore a bright red dress with a


    low cut front and back. It seemed such a waste to show off her new look here but she hadn’t been able


    to talk her way out of it.


    In the past Ava always apanied their mother to boring charity events. Even without her Marilynn


    was usually able to avoid them if sheined loud enough buttely her father had been in a bad


    mood. Though he refused to exin the details it was obvious he had lost out on some big deal. It


    didn’t seem fair her social life suffered because of that but here she was drinking alone while her


    mother talked to one useless person after another.


    When they first arrived they heard a rumor Ss Prescott arrived with a date, and not just any date, but


    a woman he imed to be his fiancée. Marilynn was immediately intrigued but their informant couldn’t


    tell them more. Wanting to see the woman who finallynded the city’s hottest bachelor Marilynn went


    in search of the man himself. To her disappointment he stood alone speaking to some business


    associates. She hadn’t the nerve to approach him and Marilynn shrugged off the rumor.


    Changing out her empty ss for another Marilynn suddenly froze not believing her eyes. A short


    distance away was a small group. In the center was a petite brte in a ssy silver gown. As the


    woman turned Marilynn was struck speechless…Ava?


    It had been some ten years since shest saw her sister. It was right after the incident in the hotel.


    Thanks to Marilynn’s little joke Ava had been kicked out of the house and disowned. Even she had


    been surprised by the severity of their father’s reaction. Ava disappeared forever shamed much to


    Marilynn’s glee. How then was her sister standing in front of her in a dress Marilynn hadn’t been able to


    afford? And why was everyone fawning over her like she was a princess?


    Marilynn’s shock gave way to anger and she strutted toward the group ready to settle the score once


    and for all. Reaching Ava she loudly dered, “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.”


    Startled Ava turned. Her green eyes met those of her sister with a shocked expression but this faded


    almost immediately. Ava’s gaze dulled in resignation. This wasn’t a confrontation she expected tonight


    but perhaps it was unavoidable.


    “And just what do you think you are doing here?” Marilynn demanded. “This is an exclusive event. It’s


    not for a disgraced woman who embarrassed her own family and was kicked out.”


    “You would be the expert on disgraceful behavior,” Ava answered neutrally.


    “What was that? Oh I see, you have a mouth now huh? It seems you have forgotten your ce.”


    “Excuse me. Is there a problem?” a gentleman in a maroon suit approached. The red suit indicated he


    was part of the event’s staff.


    “Yes we have a problem,” Marilynn practically shouted, “it seems any tramp off the street can wander in


    here.”


    Ava blushed at her sister’s crudenguage. The women she had been pleasantly talking to shared


    ufortable looks but they were unwilling to inject their support for either sister. Beside her Tracy


    was fuming no doubt ready to leap in but Ava would rather avoid causing a bigger scene.


    “Excuse me, miss,” the man turned to Ava. “May I see your invitation?”


    “We weren’t asked for one at the door,” Ava said.


    “Everyone is required to show their invitation,” the man said.


    “Then my fiancée has it. You’d have to ask him.”


    “Like anyone would marry you!” Marilynnughed. “Talk about shameless.”


    “I’m sorry miss but without an invitation I’ll have to ask you to leave,” the man grasped Ava’s arm.


    Removing her was the quickest way to bring a conclusion to the uproar that was disturbing the guests.


    Marilynn smirked but was surprised by the re Ava gave her. In all the years she had known her


    sister Ava had always been meek and acquiesced to her sister’s whims.


    “I suggest you take your hand off of me before you have a real problem,” Ava said calmly and firmly


    making the man hesitate.


    “You heard her,” amanding male voice startled all of them.


    They turned to see Ss had quietly approached forewarned by Thomas that there was trouble. He


    hadn’t expected Marilynn Carlisle to attend a charity event since she tended to avoid them. His blue


    eyes were cold and like daggers as he stared at Ava’s sister and tormentor.


    “Mister Prescott,” the man hesitated, “I-I’m sorry for the disturbance. I was just taking care of it now.”


    “Bold words for someone man-handling another’s fiancée.” Ss red at him.


    The man hesitated before realizing he was still gripping Ava’s arm. Nervously ncing back at Ss


    there was no doubting his murderous gaze. Immediately letting her go, the man stepped back. The


    host mentioned something about ensuring Ss Prescott and his fiancée were properly cared for


    throughout the evening but he hadn’t actually seen the couple himself.


    Ss stepped forward iming Ava by wrapping an arm around her waist. He kissed her temple, “Ava,


    are you all right? Did he hurt you?”


    “No.” Ava shook her head. “I’m fine.”


    “Good.” Ss turned his attention to Marilynn who stood in utter shock. “It seems the standards of this


    G have dropped if they allow such a vagrant in…but one can hardly expect ss from a Carlisle.”


    Marilynn snapped her mouth shut blushing. She opened her mouth to reply but closed it again. What


    exactly was going on? Did he actually im Ava as his fiancée? How in the world did she manage


    that? And why was he acting so tender with Ava? Wasn’t he supposed to be cold and calcting?


    “I suggest you monitor your invite list more carefully in the future,” Ss red at the man. “Ava there’s


    someone I want to introduce you to.”


    “Of course. Please excuse us,” Ava smiled at the women with whom she had been visiting. “It was a


    pleasure speaking to all of you.”


    “The pleasure was ours.”


    “We’ll catch upter.”


    “Have a pleasant evening.”


    Their well wishes trailed after them as they walked away. Giving Marilynn disapproving looks the group


    disbanded to spread the word about the amicable nature of Ss’s fiancée. They had been


    apprehensive at first but they were pleasantly surprised by her gentle demeanor. Even more surprising


    was how warm and gentle Ss acted toward his soon-to-be wife.


    “Just what is going on here?” Marilynn snagged Tracy’s arm before she could leave. “How is Ava with


    Ss Prescott?”


    Tracy smirked, “You’re a smart girl. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”


    Leaving Marilynn speechless she walked away. It had taken years but it still felt good to put the other


    woman in her ce for what she had done to her sister. Marilynn nced around finding herself alone.


    Her face warmed and she quickly retreated followed only by curious stares.


    “Are you really all right Ava?” Ss quietly asked when they were out of earshot. When he received


    Thomas’s warning text he had been in a near panic worried what might happen if Ava confronted her


    tormentor alone.


    “Ss I’m fine,” Avaughed then frowned as a thought urred to her. Blinking she looked at him


    almost in awe. “I’m fine. I really am.”


    He breathed a sigh of relief, “Good. That’s all that matters.”


    “Ava?”


    She turned to see her mother staring at her as if seeing a ghost. Ava looked at her mother conflicted.


    She had always been close to her growing up but the night her father threw her out her mother hadn’t


    offered one word of protest. Part of her wanted to run up and reestablish their bond but another


    recalled how the other never even looked for her. Grace knew Tracy was Ava’s best friend. One call to


    her would have put them in contact.


    “Ava is that you? Why are you with Ss Prescott?” Grace Carlisle asked.


    “Mother,” Ava finally answered, “Ss is my fiancée…and my children’s father.”


    “Your…children?”


    “That’s right. If you want to know more Tracy knows how to get in touch with me. She always has but


    then you knew that already.”


    A slight blush colored her mother’s otherwise pallidplexion. Without another word Ava turned away


    from her and walked away safe in Ss’s embrace. He didn’t spare the other woman a nce. There


    was only one person who mattered and she was in his arms.


    * * *


    “Got it!” Sean announced startling his siblings.


    It waste and Duncan had already bid them goodnight. They knew he was never far should they need


    someone but the triplets were self-sufficient. What was more they didn’t want anyone interfering with


    their work.


    “What did you get?” Theo asked not looking up from his phone screen as he leveled up in Candy


    Crush.


    “Lexi was right. Our aunt definitely had to cover up multiple pregnancies,” Sean said.


    He had been searching through their aunt’s travel records but found nothing of note. With that in mind


    he switched his focus to credit card sales and found several pharmacy purchases.


    “Oh really?” Alexis asked.


    “I didn’t find anything in her travel history but I found something interesting in her credit purchases.


    There have been multiple purchases at a pharmacy so I looked into it,” Sean exined. “She’s been


    prescribed both mifepristone and misoprostol.”


    “What are those?” Theo asked.


    “They are used to medically terminate pregnancies,” Sean exined. “No need for surgery and if done


    in the first trimester you don’t even need to go to the hospital. It can be done from home.”


    “Is that so,” Alexis said, “and how many times has she been prescribed these drugs?”


    “Four.”


    Theo finally put his phone down. Even he was shocked by the number. They had known for some time


    their biological aunt was a certifiable sociopath capable of just about anything but even this was more


    heartless than he could have imagined.


    “You’re kidding.”


    “Nope.”


    “Well the number is surprising but not the action itself,” Alexis said, “now we just have to release the


    information.”


    “How though?” Sean asked. “I mean, this is purely circumstantial. It’s not proof and a lot of media


    outlets will be hesitant to stand up to the Carlisles even with proof.”


    “We don’t need them,” Alexis said. “Rumor travels faster than news. Do you still have that fake news


    website?”


    “Yeah,” Sean nodded. When they first targeted their aunt he had created a website to spread unsavory


    rumors andpromising photos about her. It had a small but dedicated reader base even now.


    “Then that is where we’ll break the news,” Alexis said. “Can you imbed a link so it automatically shares


    to people’s social media whenever they click on it?”


    Sean thought about it. It wouldn’t be the first time he imbedded a virus into a link. It was how he


    infiltrated their aunt’s various social media ounts in the first ce. The virus itself was harmless


    merely spreading the link to share the story faster.


    “Yeah. That shouldn’t be too difficult but what should the article say? It needs to sound legit.”


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    “I have that covered. Just type what I say,” Alexis announced. “Scandal Rocks Carlisle Household…”