Chapter 1 Chapter 1

It was the crack of dawn, barely half-past four in the morning.

The scenic woodland retreat, Lovestruck Haven, in the breathtaking hills of Barsay Mountains, lay sprawled with alluring tents, enticing couples seeking a romantic escapade.

'Ahh-'

The tranquillity of dawn was shattered by an unexpected scream.

Startled awake, Alessia bolted upright, her heart pounding. 'Who the heck's making all that noise?'

Outside, the sound of a heated argument was faintly audible, then quickly hushed.

Alessia cautiously got up, her head throbbing, and her body aching as if she had been in a wrestling match.

'That was something,' she thought, smiling with a tinge of satisfaction.

Last night, after the grand bonfire event organised by the charming hunk, Brayden Scott, Alessia had finally crossed the line into intimacy.

Brayden had been planning to confess his feelings to her, and her older sister, Connie, had congratulated them both with a knowing grin.

Alessia had downed a drink Connie handed her and then blissfully drifted into slumber.

But in her dreams, she had taken the initiative with Brayden.

The transformation from an innocent girl to a passionate woman had been a rollercoaster of sensations.

He was an absolute beast in bed, in the best way possible.

'I don't know-' Connie's distressed voice suddenly echoed from outside. 'Brayden, I honestly didn't mean for this to happen.'

'Shh! Lower your voice, Connie. We can't let Alessia hear this,' Brayden's voice sounded urgent.

Curiosity piqued, Alessia got up and, throwing on some clothes, stepped out to investigate.

Her heart sank when she saw Brayden in a dishevelled state, storming out of an adjacent tent-Connie's tent, with no shirt on and faint scratches on his muscular back.

'Brayden, what are you doing there?' Alessia asked as she approached him.

But the words got stuck in her throat when she saw through a gap in the tent's flaps, her sister Connie, also in a state of undress, bearing certain marks that could only mean one thing: she and Brayden had been intimate.

Alessia stood there, dumbstruck.

'I was drunk and thought it was you, but-' Brayden began to explain, but the guilt was evident in his eyes.

'So, you two slept together?' Alessia's voice trembled. 'You and my.sister?'

Brayden looked ashamed, and Connie was quick to defend herself, 'Alessia, it was an accident, I swear!'

Alessia's mind raced.

If Brayden and Connie slept together, then who had she been with?

Fear and confusion clouded her thoughts, and she rushed back to her own tent.

There, she found a wad of cash beside her sleeping bag and a bloodstained note on top of it: 'If the money isn't enough, you can find me at the Whispering Pines Estates.'

There was no signature, just a phone number, scrawled in a man's bold, assertive handwriting-handwriting she'd never seen before.

Clutching the money tightly, Alessia couldn't believe what had happened.

Did she somehow end up selling herself?

It was beyond mortifying.

When Alessia emerged from the tent on shaky legs, Brayden and Connie were waiting for her.

Connie approached, grabbing her hand apologetically, 'Lexy, I'm so, so sorry. I never meant for this to happen.'

Still dazed, Alessia stood there in disbelief.

Connie's eyes fell on the hickeys on Alessia's neck, and she gasped. 'Lexy! These marks on your neck...'

Alessia stiffened, her dark eyes meeting her sister's shocked gaze.

Brayden rushed forward, his eyes wide, examining Alessia's neck as if searching for confirmation.

In an instant, his hands grabbed her shoulders with agitation. 'Tell me, who were you with last night? What happened?'

Alessia wanted to say, 'I thought it was you.'

But now, what good would an explanation do?

She said nothing.

Unable to bear her silence, Brayden growled, 'Tell me, who was it?'

'Does it really matter now?' Alessia replied nonchalantly, though her voice quivered. 'Brayden, we can't go back now. Not after you and my sister.Let's just forget it.'

She forced a smile. 'I wish you both happiness.'

***

Fifty days later.

The ultrasound room at St Catherine's Hospital was bustling with activity.

Alessia lay on the examination bed, her gaze fixed on the ceiling, while the ultrasound technician carefully glided the probe over her exposed belly.

After missing her period twice and, for the past month, experiencing relentless nausea, weakness, and an inexplicable need for sleep, Alessia had reluctantly dragged herself to the hospital.

The doctor, upon seeing her symptoms, wasted no time and directed her to the gynaecology department.

A positive result from the urine test left her anxious and apprehensive.

Now, lying in the examination room, Alessia tried to make sense of the technician's murmurs to her intern counterpart. 'Posterior positioning of the uterus, enlarged, regular shape, well-defined contours. Within the uterine cavity, two gestational sacs are observed, measuring approximately 26 by 20mm and 28 by 19mm. The sac walls are thick, and both contain visible embryonic buds and yolk sacs. Primitive cardiac pulsations observed.'

Alessia's head spun as she struggled to comprehend the technical jargon.

Before she knew it, the examination was over.

Leaving the ultrasound room with the report in her hand, Alessia made her way back to the gynaecologist's office.

The doctor, after reviewing the report, delivered the life-altering news with a bright smile. 'Congratulations, Miss Jansen. You're pregnant-with twins.'

'What?' Alessia's initial disbelief quickly transformed into a daunting reality.

She couldn't help but question herself-pregnant with babies whose father remained a mystery.

And.twins?

For real?

Feeling lost and bewildered, Alessia clutched the report tightly and left the doctor's office.

She had no idea how she got home.

As she pushed open the front door, her eyes fell upon Connie, who was ecstatically admiring a collection of dresses.

Hearing the noise, Connie glanced up from the sofa and locked eyes with Alessia.

In that moment, a sudden stiffness washed over Connie's face. 'Oh, Lexy, you are home early.'

Ever since that day, Connie had been awkward around her.

Every time Alessia approached, Connie's blissful smile as a newly betrothed woman would quickly fade.